JP7322484B2 - Broadcast signal relay device, broadcast signal relay system, and broadcast signal relay method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a broadcast signal relay device, a broadcast signal relay system, and a broadcast signal relay method.

2. Description of the Related Art Broadcasting station systems are known that transmit broadcast signals for news reports and marathon relays from relay radio stations to receiving equipment (broadcasting stations, etc.) using radio channels for broadcasting business. This broadcasting station system generally uses a device or line called an FPU (Field Pickup Unit). Such lines are sometimes called FPU lines or Microwave Links.

Technological developments to improve the communication rate and reliability of FPU lines are ongoing (for example, ARIB-STD-B33 (Non-Patent Document 1), ARIB-STD-B11 (Non-Patent Document 2) , Patent Document 1), the broadcast signal transmitted may still be temporarily interrupted due to deterioration of the line quality of the FPU line, equipment failure, or the like.

Broadcast services are required to have high reliability, especially in real-time transmission of broadcast signals, due to their high public nature, for example. For example, in order to prevent the transmission of broadcast signals from being interrupted, a redundant configuration may be adopted for devices and lines within a broadcasting station system.

For example, Patent Literature 2 discloses a technique for switching outputs from two systems of transmitters without interruption. Further, for example, Patent Literature 3 describes a system for buffering (delaying) content for the time it takes to establish a communication transmission path in order to prevent loss of content in a digital terrestrial television broadcasting system configuration.

On the other hand, Patent Document 4, for example, discloses a technique of using a wired channel in addition to an FPU line of a wireless channel in a broadcasting station system and transmitting support information of the broadcasting station system through the wired channel.

JP 2015-041954 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-270228 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-040604 JP 2015-154428 A

“Portable OFDM Digital Wireless Transmission System for Television Broadcast Program Material Transmission (ARIB STD-B33 Version 1.3)”, ARIB, January 22, 2018 “Portable Microwave Band Digital Wireless Transmission System for Television Broadcast Program Material Transmission (ARIB STD-B11 Version 2.2)”, ARIB, November 30, 2005

As an example of technology that employs a redundant configuration, for example, Patent Document 3 can be cited. However, the system of Patent Document 3 is a system related to terrestrial digital television broadcasting, and although it can avoid the lack of viewing content, it does not prevent the occurrence of temporal interruptions in viewing. Moreover, Patent Document 3 does not disclose transmission of broadcast signals to receiving equipment such as a broadcasting station using a redundant configuration.

Further, Patent Document 4 describes that a wired line is used in a broadcasting station system, but does not describe that a redundant configuration is adopted to prevent interruption of transmission of broadcast signals.

When adopting a redundant configuration, it is generally necessary to prepare a plurality of devices or lines. Businesses using broadcasting station systems must prepare various equipment and facilities according to the operation mode and business application, and adopting a redundant configuration has the problem of increasing the number of equipment and equipment costs. rice field.

2. Description of the Related Art In a broadcasting station system, for example, it is desirable to be able to prevent interruption of transmission of broadcast signals while reducing the number of equipment and equipment costs in the broadcasting station system.

Accordingly, an object of the technique of the present disclosure is to provide a mechanism that enables effective prevention of interruption of transmission of broadcast signals in a broadcasting station system.

A broadcast signal relay device of a broadcasting station system of the present disclosure generates a radio signal based on an input broadcast signal, and transmits the generated radio signal on a first communication channel which is a radio channel of the broadcasting station system. a first transmission unit for transmitting to a receiving device of a broadcasting station system, generating an IP packet based on the broadcast signal, transmitting the generated IP packet in parallel with the radio signal on the first communication channel, a second transmitter for transmitting to the receiving device on a second communication channel different from the first communication channel.

A broadcast signal relay system of the present disclosure generates a radio signal based on an input broadcast signal, and receives the generated radio signal on a first communication channel, which is a radio channel of the broadcasting station system. a first transmission unit for transmitting to an apparatus, generating an IP packet based on the broadcast signal, and transmitting the generated IP packet to the first communication channel in parallel with the radio signal on the first communication channel. a broadcast signal relay device that transmits to the receiving device on a second communication channel different from the broadcast signal relay device; and a receiving device.

A broadcast signal relay method of the present disclosure generates a radio signal for transmission to a receiving device of a broadcasting station system based on an input broadcast signal, and transmits the generated radio signal to a radio channel of the broadcasting station system. transmitting to the receiving device over a first communication channel; generating an IP packet for transmission to the receiving device based on the broadcast signal; transmitting the generated IP packet over the first communication channel; transmitting to the receiving device on a second communication channel, different from the first communication channel, in parallel with the radio signal.

According to the present invention, it is possible to effectively prevent interruption of transmission of broadcast signals in a broadcasting station system. It should be noted that other effects may be achieved by the present invention instead of or in addition to the above effects.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration of a broadcasting station system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining technical problems of the broadcasting station system; It is a block diagram showing an example of a system configuration concerning a 1st embodiment. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of processing in which a broadcast signal relay device transmits a radio signal in the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a system according to a second embodiment; FIG. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a broadcast signal relay device according to the first configuration example of the second embodiment; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of modulation order parameters; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of coding rate parameters; FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of time interleaving length parameters; FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a first configuration example of a broadcast signal receiver according to a second embodiment; FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of processing for transmitting wireless signals and IP packets in the second embodiment; 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing for receiving wireless signals and IP packets in the second embodiment; FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a second configuration example of a broadcast signal relay device according to the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a third configuration example of the broadcast signal relay device according to the second embodiment; FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a fourth configuration example of the broadcast signal relay device according to the second embodiment; FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a fifth configuration example of the broadcast signal relay device according to the second embodiment; FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a broadcast signal receiver according to a third embodiment; FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing an example of first received signal generation processing and second received signal generation processing of the broadcast signal receiver according to the third embodiment; FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of selection processing of the broadcast signal receiving device according to the third embodiment; FIG. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a system and the configuration of a broadcast signal relay device according to a first modified example; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a system and the configuration of a broadcast signal relay device according to a second modified example; FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a system and the configuration of a broadcast signal relay device according to a third modified example;

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in the present specification and drawings, elements that can be described in the same manner can be omitted from redundant description by assigning the same reference numerals.

The description is given in the following order.
1. Overview 1-1. Configuration example of broadcasting station system 1-2. Description of task 2 . First Embodiment 2-1. System configuration example 2-2. Configuration example of broadcast signal relay device 2-3. Flow of processing3. Second Embodiment 3-1. System configuration example 3-2. First Configuration Example of Broadcast Signal Repeater 3-3. Configuration example of broadcast signal receiver 3-4. Flow of processing 3-5. Second Configuration Example of Broadcast Signal Repeater 3-6. Third Configuration Example of Broadcast Signal Repeater 3-7. Fourth Configuration Example of Broadcast Signal Repeater 3-8. 4. Fifth configuration example of broadcast signal relay device; Third Embodiment 4-1. Configuration example of system 4-2. Configuration example of broadcast signal receiver 4-3. Processing flow5. Modification 5-1. First modification 5-2. Second modification 5-3. Third modified example6. summary

<<1. Overview＞＞
<1-1. Configuration example of broadcasting station system>
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of a broadcasting station system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. An overview of a broadcasting station system to which some embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied will be described with reference to FIG.

A broadcasting station system 1 of FIG.

The FPU device 2a is connected via a first communication channel 10 to the FPU base station 3a and the receiving facility 4 . The FPU device 2a generally has mobility or portability, and is used at a broadcast program coverage base. The FPU device 2a can be mounted on a moving object such as a vehicle or a helicopter.

The FPU device 2b is connected via the first communication channel 10 and the second communication channel 20 to the FPU base station 3b, and via the first communication channel 10 to the FPU base station 3c. The FPU device 2b is also called a handy type FPU, generally has mobility or portability, and is used at a broadcast program coverage base. The FPU device 2b can be carried, for example, by a photographer.

The usage example of the FPU device 2 (including 2a and 2b; hereinafter, when both are included, it may be simply referred to as the FPU device 2) is not limited to the above-described mode, and may be used in any other mode. . For example, the FPU device 2 may not be mounted on a mobile object, and may be temporarily or semi-permanently installed at a coverage base for a broadcast program.

The FPU base station 3a is connected to the FPU device 2a via the first communication channel 10, and is connected to the receiving facility 4 via the first communication channel 10 and the second communication channel 20. FIG. The FPU base station 3a can be installed, for example, on a mountaintop.

The FPU base station 3b is connected to the FPU device 2b via the first communication channel 10 and the second communication channel 20, and is connected to the receiving facility 4 via the first communication channel 10. FIG. The FPU base station 3b can be installed, for example, in a relay vehicle.

The FPU base station 3c is connected to the FPU device 2b via a first communication channel 10 and to the receiving facility 4 via a first communication channel 10 and a second communication channel 20 . The FPU base station 3c can be installed, for example, on the roof of a building.

Usage examples of the FPU base station 3 (including 3a to 3c; hereinafter, when all of them are included, may be simply referred to as the FPU base station 3) are not limited to the aspects described above, and may be used in any other aspect. good too. Note that the relay vehicle of the FPU base station 3 b may be used as the FPU device 2 .

A line or device for transmitting broadcast signals from the FPU base station 3 to the receiving facility 4 is sometimes called TSL (Transmitter to Studio Link). This TSL may use a wireless line or may use a wired line such as an optical fiber line.

Each of FPU device 2 and FPU base station 3 may relay broadcast signals to receiving facility 4 using first communication channel 10 or second communication channel 20 . A broadcast signal may or may not pass through one or more FPU base stations 3 before reaching the receiving facility 4 . Either one of the first communication channel 10 and the second communication channel 20 may be used, or both communication channels may be used.

The receiving equipment 4 is equipment of a broadcasting station called a concert hall or studio. A broadcast signal receiver for receiving broadcast signals transmitted from the FPU base station 3 is installed in the reception facility 4, and the reception facility 4 produces and transmits broadcast programs based on the received broadcast signals. Broadcast content transmitted from the receiving facility 4 is transmitted to the transmitting station 5 using a line called STL (Studio to Transmitter Link).

The transmitting station 5 transmits the broadcast content transmitted from the receiving facility 4 to viewer devices or relay stations within the broadcasting area of the transmitting station 5 . A line between the relay station and the transmitting station 5 is sometimes called a TTL (Transmitter to Transmitter Link).

<1-2. Description of the task>
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining technical problems of the broadcasting station system 1. As shown in FIG. A broadcast signal transmitted through the FPU line of the broadcasting station system 1 may be temporarily interrupted due to degradation of line quality, equipment failure, or the like. Broadcast services are required to have high reliability, especially in real-time transmission of broadcast signals, due to their high public nature, for example. Therefore, in the broadcasting station system 1, for example, a redundant configuration is adopted in which broadcast signals are transmitted using two communication channels, a first communication channel 10 and a second communication channel 20, between a certain transmission point and a certain reception point. Sometimes.

In the example of the broadcasting station system 1 shown in FIG. 1, between the FPU base station 3a and the receiving facility 4, between the FPU base station 3c and the receiving facility 4, and between the FPU device 2b and the FPU base station 3b. A redundant configuration is used.

For transmission between points adopting a redundant configuration, the first communication channel 10 and the second communication channel 20 different from the first communication channel 10 are used in parallel, so that, for example, the transmission condition of one communication channel deteriorates. At this time, the broadcast signal transmitted through the other communication channel can be used, so interruption of the transmission of the broadcast signal can be avoided.

As an example of a redundant configuration, an FPU line is used as the first communication channel 10 between the FPU 1000 on the sending side and the FPU 2000 on the receiving side, and a second communication line is used between the IP communication device 1100 on the sending side and the IP communication device 2100 on the receiving side. FIG. 2 illustrates a system configuration in which IP lines are used in parallel as channels 20 . An IP line is a line for transmitting IP packets using the Internet Protocol (IP).

In this example, at least three devices, that is, a transmitting-side IP communication device 1100, a receiving-side IP communication device 2100, and a selection device 4000 for selecting a broadcast signal, are added to the system for a non-redundant configuration. There was a problem that the number of equipment would increase if a redundant configuration was adopted. Also, in the broadcasting station system 1, there has been a demand for reduction in equipment introduction cost and operation cost, downsizing and simplification of equipment, and reduction in power consumption and the like.

In addition, in the example of the redundant configuration of FIG. There was a problem that the seamless switching of signals was not effectively performed.

For example, the transmitting FPU 1000 and the transmitting IP communication device 1100 can transmit wireless signals or IP packets at their own timings, for example. Therefore, a large delay difference may occur between the broadcast signal included in the radio signal and the broadcast signal included in the IP packet. On the other hand, the selection device 4000 on the receiving side needs to take measures to seamlessly switch received signals even if a large delay difference occurs. For example, the selection device 4000 needs to secure a memory capacity capable of compensating for the expected large delay difference so that it can cope with the expected large delay difference.

In addition, it is necessary for selection device 4000 on the reception side to perform error determination on both the reception signal received from FPU 2000 on the reception side and the reception signal received from IP communication device 2100 on the reception side, and select the reception signal in which no error exists. was there. Therefore, for example, the selection device 4000 needs to have an error determination unit.

Therefore, in order to solve at least one of the above-described problems, the technology according to the present disclosure includes means for effectively preventing interruption of transmission of broadcast signals. As an example, in the first embodiment described in the next section, the broadcast signal relay device includes a transmission section for transmitting in parallel with the first communication channel through the second communication channel. In the subsequent second embodiment, the IP packets transmitted in parallel using the second communication channel are generated based on the broadcast signal that has passed through the first transmitter. Moreover, in the second embodiment, the broadcast signal relay device includes a delay unit. In a third embodiment that follows, an error flag is added to a received signal in a broadcast signal receiver, and a received signal is selected based on the error flag.

<<2. First Embodiment>>
The configuration and operation of the broadcast signal relay device 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a system configuration according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the flow of processing in which the broadcast signal relay device transmits a radio signal in the first embodiment.

<2-1. System configuration example>
The broadcasting station system 1 illustrated in FIG. 3 solves at least one of the problems described above. The broadcasting station system 1 includes a broadcast signal relay device 100 on the broadcast signal transmitting side and a broadcast signal receiving device 200 on the broadcast signal receiving side. The broadcast signal relay device 100 transmits broadcast signals to the broadcast signal receiving device 200 via the first communication channel 10 and the second communication channel 20 .

The FPU device 2 or FPU base station 3 described in FIG. 1 may include the broadcast signal relay device 100 of the present disclosure. Further, since the FPU base station 3 receives the broadcast signal from the FPU device 2, it may include the broadcast signal relay device 100 of the present disclosure. In particular, when transmitting broadcast signals in parallel using both the first communication channel 10 and the second communication channel 20, it is desirable to use the broadcast signal relay device 100 and the broadcast signal receiving device 200 of the present disclosure.

Here, in each embodiment of the present disclosure, a signal formed for transmitting (transporting) streams such as video, audio, and data is expressed as a "broadcast signal". This broadcast signal may be expressed as a transport stream (hereinafter sometimes referred to as TS (Transport Stream)). Also, in the present disclosure, "broadcast signal" may be referred to as a broadcast signal, TS, or TS signal. Also, the data unit that configures the TS is sometimes referred to as a packet or a TS packet.

<2-2. Configuration example of broadcast signal relay device>
The broadcast signal relay device 100 of FIG. 3 includes a first transmission unit 110 for transmitting broadcast signals on the first communication channel 10 and a second transmission unit 120 for transmitting broadcast signals on the second communication channel 20. include.

The first transmitter 110 is used to transmit radio signals over the first communication channel 10 . For example, first communication channel 10 may be a wireless communication channel. A microwave band, for example, may be used as the frequency band of the wireless communication channel. Moreover, a UHF band or a millimeter wave band may be used as necessary.

The second transmitter 120 is used to transmit IP packets over the second communication channel 20 . In addition, the second transmission unit 120 has a function of transmitting IP packets to the broadcast signal receiving device 200 on the second communication channel 20 different from the first communication channel 10 in parallel with the radio signal on the first communication channel 10. have. For example, the second transmission unit 120 may provide a The timing of transmitting IP packets is adjusted so that the difference in processing timing on the receiving side is zero or slight. Thereby, the radio signal on the first communication channel 10 and the IP packet on the second communication channel 20 originating from the same broadcast signal can be transmitted in parallel to the receiving device.

The first communication channel 10 and the second communication channel 20 are preferably communication channels having different characteristics. For example, if the communication channels have different characteristics, when the transmission condition of one communication channel deteriorates, the probability that the transmission condition of the other communication channel also deteriorates is considered to be relatively low.

Communication channels having different characteristics may be, for example, a wireless line using a frequency band for broadcasting business and a wired line such as an optical fiber line. As for the wired line, it is preferable to use a dedicated line instead of a public line in order to ensure the reliability of the broadcasting service. However, as long as the communication channel is highly reliable and has characteristics different from those of the first communication channel 10, the second communication channel 20 may use a wireless line or a public line.

<2-3. Process Flow>
Next, with reference to FIG. 4, the flow of main processing that can be executed by the broadcast signal relay device 100 of the broadcasting station system 1 described above will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of relaying a broadcast signal by the broadcast signal relay device 100. As shown in FIG.

First, the broadcast signal relay device 100 acquires a broadcast signal input to the broadcast signal relay device 100 from the outside of the broadcast signal relay device 100 (step S100). A broadcast signal input to the broadcast signal relay device 100 from the outside may be, for example, a broadcast signal from an imaging camera. Alternatively, it may be a broadcast signal received from another FPU device 2 or FPU base station 3 . Also, the broadcast signal input from the outside of the broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 may be, for example, an SDI signal conforming to the SDI (Serial Digital Interface) standard or an ASI signal conforming to the ASI (Asynchronous Serial Interface) standard.

Next, the broadcast signal acquired in step S100 is processed by the first transmitter 110. FIG. Specifically, the first transmitter 110 generates a radio signal based on the acquired broadcast signal (step S101). Then, the first transmission unit 110 transmits the generated radio signal to the broadcast signal receiving device 200 of the broadcasting station system 1 via the first communication channel 10, which is the radio channel of the broadcasting station system 1 (step S102). .

On the other hand, the broadcast signal acquired in step S100 is also processed by the second transmission section 120 . Specifically, the second transmitter 120 generates IP packets based on the acquired broadcast signal. Then, the second transmission unit 120 transmits the generated IP packet through the second communication channel 20, which is a communication channel different from the first communication channel 10, in parallel with the radio signal of the first communication channel 10, It transmits to the broadcast signal receiving device 200 of the broadcasting station system 1 .

In this way, a redundant configuration for preventing interruption of transmission of broadcast signals can be realized. Since the broadcast signal relay device 100 includes the first transmission unit 110 and the second transmission unit 120, the radio signal transmitted by the first transmission unit 110 and the IP packet transmitted by the second transmission unit 120 are transmitted through the broadcasting station system 1. are transmitted in parallel to each of the broadcast signal receiving apparatuses 200 of FIG. In particular, if the broadcast signal relay device 100 according to the first embodiment is used, there is no need to prepare individual IP communication devices as shown in FIG. can be done.

That is, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to reduce the number of devices in the broadcasting station system 1 and effectively prevent interruption of transmission of broadcast signals at low cost.

<<3. Second Embodiment>>
In the second embodiment, the configurations of the broadcast signal relay device 100 and the broadcast signal receiving device 200 in the broadcasting station system 1 will be described more specifically than in the first embodiment.

<3-1. System configuration example>
A broadcasting station system 1 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. A broadcast station system 1 according to the second embodiment includes a broadcast signal relay device 100 on the broadcast signal transmitting side and a broadcast signal receiving device 200 on the broadcast signal receiving side. The broadcast signal relay device 100 transmits broadcast signals to the broadcast signal receiving device 200 via the first communication channel 10 and the second communication channel 20 .

As in the first embodiment, the broadcast signal relay device 100 has a first transmission section 110 and a second transmission section 120, but the second transmission section 120 of the second embodiment This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that IP packet generation processing is performed based on signals. Also, referring to FIG. 5, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the line extending from the first transmitter 110 is connected to the input side of the second transmitter 120 .

Furthermore, broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 includes first receiving section 210 , second receiving section 220 and selecting section 230 . The selector 230 is connected to the first receiver 210 and the second receiver 220 .

<3-2. First Configuration Example of Broadcast Signal Relay Device>
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a first configuration example of the broadcast signal relay device 100 according to the second embodiment. Broadcast signal relay device 100 includes first transmitter 110 , second transmitter 120 , storage 130 , and setting section 140 .

(1) First transmitter The first transmitter 110 generates a radio signal based on a broadcast signal (for example, an SDI signal, an ASI signal, etc.) input from the outside of the broadcast signal relay device 100, and transmits the generated radio signal. It transmits to the broadcast signal receiving device 200 of the broadcasting station system 1 via the first communication channel 10 . First transmitting section 110 includes stuffing section 111 , framing section 112 , error correction coding section 113 , interleaving section 114 and modulation section 115 .

(1-1) Stuffing Unit The stuffing unit 111 inserts stuffing data into a broadcast signal input from the outside. For example, when the bit rate of the input broadcast signal is less than the transmission rate used in the first transmitter 110, the stuffing unit 111 inserts stuffing data into the input broadcast signal. The stuffing data is meaningless invalid data. The stuffing data may be bitwise, bytewise or packetwise data.

(1-2) Framing Section The framing section 112 performs framing on the broadcast signal into which stuffing data has been inserted by the stuffing section 111 . Framing includes processing for constructing a data frame containing packets of a predetermined unit and processing for data frame synchronization. The process of constructing a data frame may construct one data frame from eight packets, for example. In addition, in the process for data frame synchronization, for example, the synchronization byte of the first packet that constitutes the data frame is bit-inverted with respect to the synchronization byte of a normal packet, thereby identifying the synchronization position of the data frame. You can make it possible.

Also, the framing section 112 can construct a superframe for defining the timing of subsequent signal processing. A superframe includes, for example, eight data frames, and the beginning of the superframe is configured to coincide with the beginning of the data frame.

(1-3) Error Correction Coding Section The error correction coding section 113 performs error correction coding on the broadcast signal framed by the framing section 112 . A block code or a convolutional code, for example, can be used as the error correction code. The block code may be, for example, an RS (Reed-Solomon) code. The convolutional code may be, for example, a punctured convolutional code.

(1-4) Interleaving Section The interleaving section 114 interleaves the broadcast signal that has been error-correction coded by the error-correction coding section 113 . The type of interleaving may be byte interleaving or bit interleaving, for example. Interleaving is a process of changing the arrangement of data based on the interleaving length, and is used to improve error resistance against burst errors that occur consecutively over a certain period of time. For example, the interleaving may be a so-called convolutional interleaving. Specifically, an error-correction-encoded broadcast signal is divided into predetermined data units, and the divided data units are distributed to delay paths having different delay amounts.

Interleaving also includes the processing of time interleaving. Time interleaving is a process for dispersing carriers on the time axis for the purpose of improving fading characteristics. Time interleaving may use convolutional interleaving. The amount of delay to be inserted increases in proportion to the time interleaving length (interleaving depth).

(1-5) Modulator Modulator 115 modulates the broadcast signal interleaved by interleaver 114 . In an embodiment of the present disclosure, modulation section 115 uses an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) scheme. The OFDM system is a system that makes it possible to make the phases of adjacent carriers (carrier waves) orthogonal to each other and partially overlap the frequency bands of the carriers. A modulation method such as PSK (Phase Shift Keying) or QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) can be used as the modulation method for each carrier. Modulating section 115 may use a single-carrier method instead of a multi-carrier method such as OFDM. For example, QPSK, QAM, or the like can be used as a single-carrier modulation scheme. Modulation section 115 may be configured to be able to switch between a multi-carrier system (OFDM mode) and a single-carrier system (multi-carrier QAM mode) by receiving an input from a user.

(2) Second Transmission Unit The second transmission unit 120 of the broadcast signal relay device 100 according to the second embodiment generates an IP packet based on the broadcast signal input from the first transmission unit 110, and The packets are transmitted to the broadcast signal receiving device 200 of the broadcasting station system 1 via the second communication channel 20 . The second transmission section 120 includes a delay section 121 and a TS/IP conversion section 122 .

Here, referring to FIG. 6 , in the first configuration example of the broadcast signal relay device 100 , the broadcast signal interleaved by the interleaver 114 of the first transmitter 110 is input to the second transmitter 120 . The second transmitter 120 generates IP packets based on the interleaved broadcast signal. In other words, second transmitter 120 generates IP packets based on the broadcast signal that has passed through first transmitter 110 .

Also, in the first configuration example of the broadcast signal relay device 100 , the broadcast signal that has passed through the first transmitter 110 is a broadcast signal that has been error correction encoded by the error correction encoder 113 of the first transmitter 110 . This error-correction-encoded broadcast signal is input to the second transmission section 120 .

(2-1) Delay Unit The delay unit 121 adjusts the delay time until the broadcast signal input to the second transmission unit 120 is transmitted to the broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 as an IP packet. For example, the delay unit 121 delays the IP packet generation timing by buffering the broadcast signal in the delay unit 121 . In the example of FIG. 6 described above, the delay unit 121 is arranged before the TS/IP conversion unit 122 described later, but the delay unit 121 may be arranged after the TS/IP conversion unit 122. . In this case, the delay unit 121 may delay the transmission timing of the IP packet by buffering the generated IP packet.

Also, the delay unit 121 can control the amount of delay for delaying the transmission of IP packets based on parameters related to processing performed by the first transmission unit 110 . The parameters related to the processing performed by the first transmitting unit 110 are, for example, one of the modulation order corresponding to the modulation processing, the coding rate corresponding to the error correction processing, and the interleaving length corresponding to the interleaving processing of the first transmitting unit 110. may contain more than one. Note that the delay unit 121 may use parameters related to processing other than those enumerated here. Furthermore, the delay unit 121 may use parameters related to reception processing corresponding to the processing performed by the first transmission unit 110 .

As a delay method of the delay unit 121, for example, a temporary storage medium such as a buffer, memory, or register can be used. Also, for example, the delay amount may be the time from when the broadcast signal is stored in the temporary storage medium to when it is read.

7 to 9 are diagrams showing examples of parameters related to the processing performed by the first transmission unit 110. FIG. For example, FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of modulation order parameters. FIG. 7 shows the correspondence between the modulation order, which is a parameter related to modulation, the processing time in the first transmission section 110, and the delay time in the second transmission section 120. FIG. The modulation order corresponds to the number of bits per symbol, and the higher the modulation order, the more signals can be transmitted. For example, BPSK (Binary Phase Shift Keying) can modulate 1 bit per symbol, and 16QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) can modulate 4 bits per symbol.

For example, the delay amount used by the delay unit 121 may be determined based on the correspondence between the modulation order, the processing time at the modulation order, and the delay time. Specifically, when the modulation order is lower, the time required for the radio signal to be transmitted through the first communication channel is longer. make it bigger Further, when the modulation order is higher, the time required for the radio signal to be transmitted through the first communication channel is shorter, so the delay amount to be delayed by the delay unit 121 of the second transmission unit 120 is made relatively small. . Thereby, the second transmission unit 120 can adjust the delay amount and transmit the IP packet through the second communication channel in parallel with the radio signal transmitted through the first communication channel.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of coding rate parameters. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence relationship between the coding rate, which is a parameter related to error correction coding, the processing time in first transmitting section 110, and the delay time in second transmitting section 120. In FIG.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of time interleaving length parameters. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence relationship between the interleave length, which is a parameter related to interleaving, the processing time in first transmission section 110, and the delay time in second transmission section 120. In FIG.

Note that the parameters shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 are merely examples. Any other parameters may be used as the parameters related to the processing performed by the first transmitter 110 . Further, parameters related to reception processing corresponding to the processing performed by first transmission section 110 may be used. For example, parameters related to demodulation processing, parameters related to error correction decoding, and parameters related to deinterleaving may be included.

The delay amount used by the delay unit 121 is preferably a static delay amount that can be obtained in advance. A pre-obtained static delay amount can be set in the delay unit 121 by the user. As for the delay amount, a dynamically fluctuating delay amount may be used as necessary, or a statistically calculated delay amount may be used.

(2-2) TS/IP Conversion Unit The TS/IP conversion unit 122 converts the broadcast signal input to the second transmission unit 120 into IP packets in order to generate IP packets. Since the input broadcast signal can be a TS signal, it is called a 'TS/IP converter 122'.

The TS/IP converter 122 segments the input broadcast signal into payload data in predetermined units. Then, the TS/IP converter 122 generates an IP packet by adding an IP header to each segmented payload data.

(3) Storage Unit Storage unit 130 includes temporary and non-transitory computer-readable memory. Temporary memory may include, for example, RAM (Random Access Memory). The non-transitory memory may include, for example, one or more of ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or SSD (Solid State Drive). The storage unit 130 may store computer programs for realizing the functions of the broadcast signal relay device 100 . Furthermore, the storage unit 130 can store various parameters used in the operation of the broadcast signal relay device 100 .

For example, the storage unit 130 stores a parameter, a candidate value of the parameter, and a delay time corresponding to the candidate value of the parameter, which are used to set the delay amount in the delay unit 121 . The tabular diagrams shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 include a column of “processing time related to first transmission unit 110” for explanation, but the processing time is not stored even if it is stored in storage unit 130. It does not have to be.

The parameters stored in the storage unit 130 are, for example, a modulation order corresponding to modulation processing, a coding rate corresponding to error correction processing, an interleaving length corresponding to interleaving processing, parameters relating to demodulation processing, parameters relating to error correction decoding, parameters for deinterleaving. Furthermore, parameters for scrambling processing for concealment, parameters for energy spreading processing, and the like may be included. One or more parameter candidate values and delay times corresponding to the parameter candidate values are stored in the storage unit 130 for each parameter.

(4) Setting Unit The setting unit 140 is used to set and change parameters for the broadcast signal relay device 100 . For example, the setting unit 140 reads the delay time corresponding to the parameter value to be set from the storage unit 130 and sets the delay time in the delay unit 121 . The setting unit 140 may be realized by input/output means including a user interface (for example, graphical user interface).

The setting unit 140 may receive parameters or parameter values from the user for the broadcast signal relay device 100 . Alternatively, setting section 140 may receive parameters or parameter values to be set in broadcast signal relay device 100 from another device. The other device may be a remote device, and the configuration unit 140 may have a network interface for accepting parameters or parameter values from the remote device.

For example, the setting unit 140 receives a “modulation order” from the user as a parameter to be set in the broadcast signal relay device 100 . Then, the setting unit 140 presents the parameter value candidates (for example, BPSK, DBPSK, . . . , 64QAM) stored in the storage unit 130 to the user. After that, when the parameter value to be set is specified by the user, the setting unit 140 reads the delay time corresponding to the parameter value to be set from the storage unit 130 and sets the delay time in the delay unit 121 . Note that this setting example is an example, and any other setting mode may be used.

<3-3. Configuration Example of Broadcast Signal Receiving Device>
FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a broadcast signal receiver 200 according to the second embodiment. Broadcast signal receiver 200 includes first receiver 210 , second receiver 220 , and selector 230 .

(1) First Receiver The first receiver 210 receives a radio signal on the first communication channel and generates a first received signal from the received radio signal. First receiving section 210 then outputs the first received signal to selecting section 230 . The processing performed by the first receiving unit 210 corresponds to the processing performed by the first transmitting unit 110 of the broadcast signal relay device 100 . The processing corresponding to the processing performed by the first transmitter 110 may be demodulation, deinterleaving, error correction decoding, or deframing.

(2) Second Receiver The second receiver 220 receives IP packets on the second communication channel and generates a second received signal from the received IP packets. Second receiving section 220 then outputs the second received signal to selecting section 230 . The processing performed by the second receiving unit 220 corresponds to the processing performed by the first transmitting unit 110 and the second transmitting unit 120 of the broadcast signal relay device 100 . The processing is as follows when the transmission side is the first configuration example of the broadcast signal relay device 100 of FIG. The processing corresponding to the processing performed by the first transmission unit 110 is deinterleaving, error correction decoding, and deframing, and the processing corresponding to the processing performed by the second transmission unit 120 is from IP packets to TS is a conversion to

Deinterleaving, error correction decoding, and deframing processing performed in the first receiving unit 210 described above, and deinterleaving, error correction decoding, and deframing processing performed in the second receiving unit 220 have the same processing content.

Therefore, for portions having the same processing content, the configuration of hardware and software for realizing the processing portion may be the same between the first receiving section 210 and the second receiving section 220 . Alternatively, the configuration of hardware or software that implements the above processing portion may be shared between first receiving section 210 and second receiving section 220 .

Here, when the transmitting side is the first configuration example of the broadcast signal relay device 100 of FIG. Also, the second receiving section 220 may output the received signal that is not deframed to the selecting section 230 . This is because the broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 of the first configuration example on the transmission side generates both the radio signal and the IP packet based on the broadcast signal that has undergone stuffing and framing.

That is, when the transmission side is the first configuration example of the broadcast signal relay device 100 of FIG. no need to do

(3) Selector Selector 230 selects one of the first received signal from first receiver 210 and the second received signal from second receiver 220 . The selected received signal is transferred to a subsequent processing section (not shown). Selector 230 selects a received signal according to a predetermined condition.

For example, the selection unit 230 selects based on the transmission status of either one of the first communication channel and the second communication channel. For example, the received signal is selected based on whether there is an error in the broadcast signal received from the first communication channel or whether there is an error in the broadcast signal received from the second communication channel.

The selection unit 230 selects the first received signal at a certain point in time, and when an uncorrectable error is detected as a result of performing error correction decoding on the broadcast signal received from the first communication channel, the first received signal to the system of the second received signal. Further, the selection unit 230 selects the second received signal at a certain point in time, and when an uncorrectable error is detected as a result of performing error correction decoding on the broadcast signal received from the second communication channel, the second received signal is selected. The selection is switched from the received signal system to the first received signal system.

<3-4. Process Flow>
Next, the flow of main processing that can be executed in the broadcast signal relay device 100 and the broadcast signal receiving device 200 according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12. FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing in which broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 transmits a broadcast signal. FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 receiving a broadcast signal.

FIG. 11 shows an example of the operation of the broadcast signal relay device 100. As shown in FIG. First, the broadcast signal relay device 100 acquires a broadcast signal input to the broadcast signal relay device 100 from the outside of the broadcast signal relay device 100 (step S200).

Next, radio signal generation processing is performed by the first transmission unit 110 on the broadcast signal input to the broadcast signal relay device 100 .

As an example of the radio signal generation process, first, the stuffing unit 111 stuffs the broadcast signal input to the first transmission unit 110 (step S202). Next, the framing unit 112 frames the stuffed broadcast signal (step S204). Next, the error correction coding unit 113 performs error correction coding on the framed broadcast signal (step S206). Next, the interleaving section 114 interleaves the error-correction-encoded broadcast signal (step S208). Next, the modulation unit 115 modulates the interleaved broadcast signal (step S210).

Then, the first transmitter 110 transmits the modulated broadcast signal as a radio signal to the broadcast signal receiver 200 (step S212).

On the other hand, the broadcast signal input to the broadcast signal relay device 100 is also processed by the second transmitter 120 . The second transmitter 120 generates IP packets based on the broadcast signal that has passed through the first transmitter 110 . In the first configuration example of the broadcast signal relay device 100 , the second transmitter 120 performs IP packet generation processing on the broadcast signal interleaved by the interleaver 114 of the first transmitter 110 .

First, the second transmitter 120 acquires the broadcast signal input via the first transmitter 110 (step S214). Next, the delay unit 121 delays the interleaved broadcast signal based on the set delay amount (step S216). Next, the TS/IP converter 122 generates IP packets based on the delayed broadcast signal (step S218).

Second transmitter 120 then transmits the generated IP packet to broadcast signal receiver 200 (step S220).

FIG. 12 shows an example of the operation of the broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200. As shown in FIG. The first receiving unit 210 of the broadcast signal receiving device 200 receives the radio signal transmitted from the broadcast signal relay device 100 (step S302). Also, in parallel with step S302, the second receiving unit 220 of the broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 receives the IP packet transmitted from the broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 (step S306).

Then, the first receiver 210 generates a first received signal from the received radio signal (step S304). Also, in parallel with step S304, the second receiver 220 generates a second reception signal from the received IP packet (step S308).

The first reception signal from the first reception section 210 and the second reception signal from the second reception section 220 are input to the selection section 230 . The selector 230 selects one of the first received signal and the second received signal (step S310).

Thus, the radio signal and the IP packet are transmitted in parallel by the broadcast signal relay device 100 and received in parallel by the broadcast signal receiving device 200 . In the broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200, either one of the first received signal from the first receiving section 210 and the second received signal from the second receiving section 220 can be selected. interruption of transmission of broadcast signals can be prevented.

The second transmission unit 120 of the broadcast signal relay device 100 according to the second embodiment includes a delay unit 121 that delays transmission of IP packets generated based on the broadcast signal. This enables the broadcast signal relay device 100 on the transmission side to adjust the delay. Moreover, it is possible to reduce the capacity of the memory for compensating the delay difference in the broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 .

Also, the delay unit 121 delays the transmission of the IP packet by a delay amount determined according to parameters related to the processing performed by the first transmission unit 110 . As a result, the broadcast signal relay device 100 on the transmitting side can adjust the delay using the delay time corresponding to the amount of delay associated with the processing of the radio signal.

Further, the broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 according to the second embodiment includes the storage unit 130 that stores delay amounts corresponding to a plurality of candidate values of the parameter, and the delay amount stored in the storage unit 130 by the delay unit 121 and a setting unit 140 for setting the delay amount to be used in the delay unit 121 . Thereby, the delay amount to be set can be set in the delay unit 121 simply by selecting the parameter value to be used from among a plurality of candidate values of the parameter.

Also, the parameters stored in storage section 130 include one or more of modulation order corresponding to modulation processing, coding rate corresponding to error correction processing, and time interleaving length corresponding to interleaving processing. Thereby, the setting section 140 can easily set the delay amount corresponding to the modulation processing, the error correction processing, and the interleaving processing to the delay section.

Further, in the broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 of the first configuration example, since the second transmission unit 120 generates IP packets based on the broadcast signal interleaved by the interleaving unit 114 of the first transmission unit 110, error correction coding and It is not necessary to provide a processing unit for interleaving in the second transmission unit 120 .

In addition, since both the radio signal and the IP packet are generated based on the broadcast signal that has undergone stuffing and framing, the broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 performs deinterleaving, error correction decoding, and deframing. As for the part, the configuration of hardware and software for realizing the processing part can be made common between the first receiving unit 210 and the second receiving unit 220 .

Furthermore, since the radio signal and the IP packet transmitted by the broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 of the first configuration example are generated based on the broadcast signal that has undergone stuffing and framing, respectively, the first receiving unit 210 and the second The receiving unit 220 can output the received signal without deframing to the selecting unit 230 . Thereby, the selection unit 230 can match the timings of the first received signal and the second received signal based on the synchronization byte for data frame synchronization included in the data frame after framing. Therefore, broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 has a simplified configuration and can easily select a received signal.

According to the second embodiment, it is possible to reduce the number of equipment in the broadcasting station system 1 and effectively prevent interruption of transmission of broadcast signals at low cost.

<3-5. Second Configuration Example of Broadcast Signal Relay Device>
FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a second configuration example of the broadcast signal relay device 100 according to the second embodiment. In the second configuration example, the functions of the first transmission section 110, the second transmission section 120, the storage section 130, and the setting section 140 included in the broadcast signal relay device 100 are the same as those in the first configuration example.

Referring to FIG. 13 , in broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 , a broadcast signal error correction encoded by error correction encoding section 113 is input to second transmission section 120 . That is, the broadcast signal that has passed through the first transmitter 110 and is input to the second transmitter 120 is a broadcast signal that has undergone error correction coding and has not undergone interleave processing.

For example, the second transmitter 120 may generate IP packets based on broadcast signals that are not interleaved. Alternatively, the second transmitter 120 may perform interleaving using an interleaving scheme different from that of the first transmitter 110, and generate IP packets based on the different interleaved broadcast signal.

In the broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 of the second configuration example, since the second transmission unit 120 generates IP packets based on the broadcast signal error correction encoded by the error correction encoding unit 113 of the first transmission unit 110, broadcast In the signal receiving apparatus 200, the first receiving section 210 and the second receiving section 220 can share the configuration of the hardware and software for realizing the error correction decoding processing portion.

Furthermore, both the radio signal and the IP packet transmitted by the broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 of the second configuration example are generated based on the framed broadcast signal. Therefore, the first receiving section 210 and the second receiving section 220 can output to the selection section 230 a received signal that has not undergone deframing. This eliminates the need for the selector 230 to perform deframing in order to seamlessly select received signals according to the data formats of the received signals. That is, the processing configuration of broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 can be simplified.

Further, similarly to the first configuration example, the broadcast signal relay device 100 of the second configuration example includes a delay section 121 . This enables the broadcast signal relay device 100 on the transmission side to adjust the delay. Moreover, it is possible to reduce the capacity of the memory for compensating the delay difference in the broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 . Also, the delay unit 121 delays the transmission of the IP packet by a delay amount determined according to parameters related to the processing performed by the first transmission unit 110 . As a result, the broadcast signal relay device 100 on the transmitting side can adjust the delay using the delay time corresponding to the amount of delay associated with the processing of the radio signal.

<3-6. Third Configuration Example of Broadcast Signal Relay Device>
FIG. 14 is a block diagram showing a third configuration example of the broadcast signal relay device 100 according to the second embodiment. In the third configuration example, the functions of the first transmission section 110, the second transmission section 120, the storage section 130, and the setting section 140 included in the broadcast signal relay device 100 are the same as those in the first configuration example.

Referring to FIG. 14 , in broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 , the broadcast signal framed by framing section 112 is input to second transmitting section 120 . That is, the broadcast signal that has passed through the first transmission unit 110 and is input to the second transmission unit 120 is a broadcast signal after framing, and is a broadcast signal that has not undergone error correction coding processing.

For example, the second transmitter 120 may generate IP packets based on broadcast signals that have not undergone error correction coding. Alternatively, the second transmission unit 120 performs error correction encoding using an error correction encoding method different from that of the first transmission unit 110, and transmits IP packets based on the broadcast signal subjected to the different error correction encoding. may be generated.

In the broadcast signal relay device 100 of the third configuration example, the second transmission unit 120 generates IP packets based on the broadcast signal framed by the framing unit 112 of the first transmission unit 110. Therefore, the broadcast signal reception device 200: As for the deframing processing portion, the configuration of hardware and software for realizing the processing portion can be shared between the first receiving section 210 and the second receiving section 220 .

Furthermore, both the radio signal and the IP packet transmitted by the broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 of the second configuration example are generated based on the framed broadcast signal. Therefore, the first receiving section 210 and the second receiving section 220 can output to the selection section 230 a received signal that has not undergone deframing. This eliminates the need for the selector 230 to perform deframing in order to seamlessly select received signals according to the data formats of the received signals. That is, the processing configuration of broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 can be simplified.

Further, similarly to the first configuration example, the broadcast signal relay device 100 of the third configuration example includes a delay section 121 . This enables the broadcast signal relay device 100 on the transmission side to adjust the delay. Moreover, it is possible to reduce the capacity of the memory for compensating the delay difference in the broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 . Also, the delay unit 121 delays the transmission of the IP packet by a delay amount determined according to parameters related to the processing performed by the first transmission unit 110 . As a result, the broadcast signal relay device 100 on the transmitting side can adjust the delay using the delay time corresponding to the amount of delay associated with the processing of the radio signal.

<3-7. Fourth Configuration Example of Broadcast Signal Relay Device>
FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a fourth configuration example of the broadcast signal relay device 100 according to the second embodiment. In the fourth configuration example, the functions of the first transmission section 110, the second transmission section 120, the storage section 130, and the setting section 140 included in the broadcast signal relay device 100 are the same as those in the first configuration example.

Referring to FIG. 15 , in broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 , the broadcast signal stuffed by stuffing section 111 is input to second transmission section 120 . That is, the broadcast signal that has passed through the first transmitter 110 and is input to the second transmitter 120 is a broadcast signal that has undergone stuffing and has not undergone framing processing.

Both the radio signal and the IP packet transmitted by the broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 of the third configuration example are generated based on the broadcast signal that has undergone only stuffing. Therefore, the first receiving section 210 and the second receiving section 220 can output the stuffed received signal to the selecting section 230 .

Further, similarly to the first configuration example, the broadcast signal relay device 100 of the fourth configuration example includes a delay section 121 . This enables the broadcast signal relay device 100 on the transmission side to adjust the delay. Moreover, it is possible to reduce the capacity of the memory for compensating the delay difference in the broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 . Also, the delay unit 121 delays the transmission of the IP packet by a delay amount determined according to parameters related to the processing performed by the first transmission unit 110 . As a result, the broadcast signal relay device 100 on the transmitting side can adjust the delay using the delay time corresponding to the amount of delay associated with the processing of the radio signal.

<3-8. Fifth Configuration Example of Broadcast Signal Relay Device>
FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a fifth configuration example of the broadcast signal relay device 100 according to the second embodiment. In the fifth configuration example, the functions of the first transmission section 110, the second transmission section 120, the storage section 130, and the setting section 140 included in the broadcast signal relay device 100 are the same as those in the first configuration example.

Referring to FIG. 16 , in broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 , the broadcast signal before stuffing in stuffing section 111 is input to second transmission section 120 . That is, the broadcast signal that has passed through the first transmitter 110 and is input to the second transmitter 120 is the broadcast signal before stuffing. In addition, in the fifth configuration example of the broadcast signal relay device, the broadcast signal input to the second transmitter 120 does not have to pass through the first transmitter 110 .

As in the first configuration example, the broadcast signal relay device 100 of the fifth configuration example includes a delay section 121 . This enables the broadcast signal relay device 100 on the transmission side to adjust the delay. Moreover, it is possible to reduce the capacity of the memory for compensating the delay difference in the broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 . Also, the delay unit 121 delays the transmission of the IP packet by a delay amount determined according to parameters related to the processing performed by the first transmission unit 110 . As a result, the broadcast signal relay device 100 on the transmitting side can adjust the delay using the delay time corresponding to the amount of delay associated with the processing of the radio signal.

<<4. Third Embodiment>>
In the third embodiment, the configuration of the broadcast signal receiving device 200 of the first embodiment or the second embodiment is more specific.

<4-1. System configuration example>
The broadcasting station system 1 according to the third embodiment is basically the same as the broadcasting station system 1 according to the second embodiment illustrated in FIG. The configuration of is embodied.

It should be noted that the broadcast signal relay device 100 according to the third embodiment will be described on the assumption that it is configured according to the first configuration example of the broadcast signal relay device 100 according to the second embodiment. Duplicate description of the first configuration example of the broadcast signal relay device 100 will be omitted.

<4-2. Configuration Example of Broadcast Signal Receiving Device>
FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a broadcast signal receiver according to the third embodiment. Broadcast signal receiver 200 includes first receiver 210 , second receiver 220 , and selector 230 .

(1) First Receiver The first receiver 210 includes a demodulator 211 , a first deinterleaver 212 , and a first error correction decoder/error determiner 213 . The first receiving unit 210 receives the radio signal on the first communication channel, and performs processing in the demodulating unit 211, the first deinterleaving unit 212, and the first error correction decoding unit/error determination unit 213. A first received signal is generated from the received radio signal. First receiving section 210 then outputs the first received signal to selecting section 230 .

(1-1) Demodulator The demodulator 211 demodulates the radio signal received by the broadcast signal receiver 200 . Demodulator 211 performs demodulation corresponding to the modulation scheme performed by first transmitter 110 of broadcast signal repeater 100 and outputs the demodulated received signal to first deinterleaver 212 .

(1-2) First Deinterleaving Section The first deinterleaving section 212 deinterleaves the received signal demodulated by the demodulation section 211 . The first deinterleaving section 212 performs deinterleaving corresponding to the interleaving performed by the first transmitting section 110 of the broadcast signal relay device 100 .

(1-3) First error correction decoding unit/error determination unit The first error correction decoding unit/error determination unit 213 performs error correction decoding on the received signal deinterleaved by the first deinterleaving unit 212, It is determined whether or not an uncorrectable error has occurred as a result of decoding. When it is determined that an uncorrectable error has occurred, the first error correction decoding unit/error determination unit 213 adds an error flag indicating the presence of an error to the received signal, and outputs the signal to which the error flag is added. It is output to selection section 230 as the first received signal. When the first error correction decoding unit/error determination unit 213 determines that an uncorrectable error has not occurred, it may or may not add an error flag indicating that no error exists to the received signal. You don't have to.

(2) Second Reception Section The second reception section 220 includes an IP/TS conversion section 221 , a second deinterleaving section 222 , and a second error correction decoding section/error determination section 223 . The second receiving unit 220 receives IP packets on the second communication channel, and processes them in the IP/TS conversion unit 221, the second deinterleaving unit 222, and the second error correction decoding unit/error determination unit 223. Thereby, the second received signal is generated from the received IP packet. Second receiving section 220 then outputs the second received signal to selecting section 230 .

(2-1) IP/TS Converter The IP/TS converter 221 converts the received IP packets into a transport stream. The IP/TS converter 221 removes the IP header from the received IP packet, combines the payloads obtained by removing the IP header, and converts them into a series of TS (transport stream signals). 221 outputs the converted TS signal to the second deinterleaving section 222 .

(2-2) Second Deinterleaving Section The second deinterleaving section 222 deinterleaves the signal converted into the transport stream by the IP/TS conversion section 221 . The second deinterleaving unit 222 performs deinterleaving corresponding to the interleaving performed by the first transmitting unit 110 of the broadcast signal relay device 100, and outputs the deinterleaved signal to the second error correction decoding unit/error determination unit 223. do. Note that, for example, when the configuration of the broadcast signal relay device 100 on the transmission side is the above-described second configuration example, the second deinterleaving section 222 may not be provided.

(2-3) Second error correction decoding unit/error determination unit The second error correction decoding unit/error determination unit 223 performs error correction decoding on the received signal deinterleaved by the second deinterleaving unit 222, It is determined whether or not an uncorrectable error has occurred as a result of decoding. When the second error correction decoding unit/error determination unit 223 determines that an uncorrectable error has occurred, it adds an error flag indicating the presence of an error to the received signal, and outputs the signal to which the error flag is added. It is output to selection section 230 as a second received signal. When the second error correction decoder/error determination unit 223 determines that an uncorrectable error has not occurred, it may or may not add an error flag indicating that no error exists to the received signal. It doesn't have to be.

(3) Selection Section The selection section 230 includes a first memory 231 , a second memory 232 , a delay adjustment section 233 and a selector 234 . Upon receiving the first reception signal from the first reception unit 210, the selection unit 230 stores the first reception signal in the first memory 231. Upon receiving the second reception signal from the second reception unit 220, the selection unit 230 stores the The second received signal is stored in the second memory 232 . The received signals stored in the first memory 231 and the second memory 232 are output to the selector 234 under the control of the delay adjustment section 233 . The selector 234 selects one of the first received signal and the second received signal.

(3-1) First Memory The first memory 231 stores the first received signal input from the first receiving section 210 . Also, the first received signal stored in the first memory 231 is read out from the first memory 231 by the delay adjusting section 233 which will be described later, and the read first received signal is output to the selector 234 .

(3-2) Second Memory The second memory 232 stores the second received signal input from the second receiver 220 . Also, the second received signal stored in the second memory 232 is read from the second memory 232 by the delay adjusting section 233 described later, and the read second received signal is output to the selector 234 .

(3-3) Delay Adjustment Section The delay adjustment section 233 determines the timing for inputting the first received signal stored in the first memory 231 from the first memory 231 to the selector 234 . Also, the delay adjusting section 233 determines the timing of inputting the second received signal stored in the second memory 232 from the second memory 232 to the selector 234 .

Delay adjusting section 233 adjusts the timing at which the first received signal is input from first memory 231 to selector 234 and the timing at which the second received signal is input from second memory 232 to selector 234 . For example, the first received signal and the second received signal are non-deframed received signals. Treated as a data frame. Since the data frame includes a synchronization byte for data frame synchronization, delay adjustment section 233 adjusts the timings of the first received signal and the second received signal based on the synchronization byte.

(3-4) Selector The selector 234 selects either one of the first received signal and the second received signal input to the selector 234 . Selector 234 may select a received signal based on certain criteria or certain conditions. For example, selector 234 may be capable of monitoring information contained in the first received signal and the second received signal. Specifically, it may have a function of monitoring the error flag of the first received signal and the error flag of the second received signal, and select a received signal in which no error exists based on the contents of the error flags. Note that the selector 234 may select the received signal under control from outside the selector 234.

The selector 234 can recognize the system of the received signal currently selected by the selector 234 from among the first received signal and the second received signal. If there is an error in the received signal system currently selected by the selector 234, it is possible to switch to select the other received signal system. If an error exists in any of the systems, the administrator of the broadcasting station system 1 or the management device may be notified of the occurrence of the failure.

<4-3. Process Flow>
Next, with reference to FIG. 18, first received signal generation processing and second received signal generation processing that can be executed in the broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 according to the third embodiment will be described.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an example of first received signal generation processing and second received signal generation processing of the broadcast signal receiver according to the third embodiment. The left side of the flowchart (steps S402 to S410) relates to the first received signal generation process performed by the first receiving unit 210 of the broadcast signal receiving device 200, and the right side of the flowchart (steps S502 to S510) relates to the broadcast signal. It is related to the second received signal generation processing performed by the second receiving unit 220 of the receiving device 200 . The first received signal generation processing and the second received signal generation processing are performed in parallel.

The first reception signal generating process will be described with reference to the left side (steps S402 to S410) of the flowchart in FIG.

First, the first receiving unit 210 receives a radio signal from the broadcast signal relay device 100 via the first communication channel (step S402). Next, the demodulator 211 demodulates the received radio signal (step S404). Next, the first deinterleaver 212 deinterleaves the demodulated signal (step S406). Next, the first error correction decoding unit/error determination unit 213 performs error correction decoding on the deinterleaved signal (step S408). Furthermore, the first error correction decoding unit/error determination unit 213 generates an error flag based on the error correction decoding result, and adds the error flag to the error correction decoded signal (step S410).

A signal generated through this first received signal generating process is called a first received signal and is output to selection section 230 . The selector 230 stores the input first received signal in the first memory 231 (step S412).

Next, with reference to the right side (steps S502 to S510) of the flowchart in FIG. 18, the second received signal generation processing will be described.

First, the second receiving unit 220 of the broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 receives IP packets from the broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 via the second communication channel (step S502). Next, the IP/TS converter 221 converts the received IP packet into TS (step S504). Next, the second deinterleaver 222 deinterleaves the converted signal (step S506). Next, the second error correction decoding unit/error determination unit 223 performs error correction decoding on the deinterleaved signal (step S508). Furthermore, the second error correction decoding unit/error determination unit 223 generates an error flag based on the error correction decoding result, and adds the error flag to the error correction decoded signal (step S510).

A signal generated through this second received signal generating process is called a second received signal and is output to selection section 230 . The selector 230 stores the input second received signal in the second memory 232 (step S512).

FIG. 19 is a flow chart showing an example of selection processing of the broadcast signal receiving device according to the third embodiment. The selection process (subflow S600) performed by the selection unit 230 will be described with reference to FIG. The selector 230 determines whether the currently selected receiving system is the first received signal or the second received signal (step S602).

If the currently selected receiving system is the first received signal, it is determined whether or not the error flag of the first received signal indicates an error (step S604). If the determination result does not indicate an error, the result of step S604 is No, and the selection unit 230 does not need to switch the selection of the currently selected first received signal, so it selects the first received signal as it is (step S606). . However, if the result of the determination indicates an error, the answer to step S604 is Yes, and the second received signal is selected (step 610).

Next, returning to step S602 in FIG. 19, the processing when the currently selected receiving system is the second received signal will be described.

If the currently selected receiving system is the second received signal, it is determined whether or not the error flag of the second received signal indicates an error (step S608). If the determination result does not indicate an error, the result of step S608 is No, and since there is no need to switch the selection of the currently selected second received signal, the second received signal is selected as is (step S610). However, if the result of determination indicates an error, the result of step S608 is Yes, and the first received signal is selected (step 606).

In this way, selection section 230 of broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 selects a received signal in which no error exists based on the error flag, from among the received signals of either the first received signal or the second received signal. You can choose seamlessly.

As described above, in the third embodiment, the first receiving unit 210 of the broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 performs error detection on the first received signal, and when an error is detected, the first received signal Add an error flag. Second receiving section 220 of broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 performs error detection on the second received signal, and adds an error flag to the second received signal when an error is detected. Selecting section 230 of broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 selects a received signal in which an error does not exist based on the error flag, from either one of the first received signal and the second received signal.

As a result, the first receiving unit 210 and the second receiving unit 220 perform error detection and add an error flag to the received signal, so the selection unit 230 does not need to determine whether an error has been detected in the received signal. Gone. Therefore, the processing configuration of broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 can be simplified.

Also, the radio signal and the IP packet transmitted by the broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 of the first configuration example are all generated based on the broadcast signal that has undergone stuffing, framing, error correction coding, and interleaving. . Therefore, regarding the processing parts of deinterleaving and error correction decoding performed by the first receiving unit 210 and the second receiving unit 220, the hardware and software configurations for realizing the processing part are the first receiving unit 210 and the second receiving unit 210. It can be shared with the unit 220 . Therefore, the processing configuration of broadcast signal receiving apparatus 200 can be simplified.

According to the third embodiment, it is possible to simplify the configuration of the broadcast signal receiver 200 of the broadcast station system 1, and to effectively prevent interruption of broadcast signal transmission at low cost.

<<5. Modification>>
The technology according to the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. One of the problems of the technique according to the present disclosure is reduction of installation space for communication equipment in a broadcasting station system. Therefore, some modifications of the broadcast signal relay device 100 according to the present disclosure will be described.

<5-1. First modification>
FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the system and the configuration of the broadcast signal relay device according to the first modified example. A first modification of broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. Broadcast signal relay device 100 shown in FIG. 20 can be configured to include encoder 300 as a function of broadcast signal relay device 100 .

The encoder 300 has a function of, for example, performing processing such as compression encoding on an image signal captured by a camera or the like and generating an encoded signal for transmission via a communication channel. For example, the imaging signal before compression may be an SDI signal, and the encoded signal after compression may be an ASI signal.

<5-2. Second modification>
FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the system and the configuration of the broadcast signal relay device according to the second modification. A second modification of broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. Broadcast signal relay device 100 shown in FIG. 21 can be configured to include encoder 300 as a function of first transmission section 110 of broadcast signal relay device 100 .

For example, if the second communication channel 20 is a large-capacity communication channel configured by optical fiber or the like, the second transmission unit 120 can convert the uncompressed broadcast signal into IP packets and transmit the IP packets. On the other hand, first transmission section 110 can generate a radio signal from the encoded broadcast signal and transmit it to broadcast signal reception apparatus 200 by using encoder 300 built in first transmission section 110 .

<5-3. Third modification>
FIG. 22 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the system and the configuration of the broadcast signal relay device according to the third modification. A third modification of broadcast signal relay apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. Broadcast signal relay device 100 shown in FIG. 22 can be configured to include encoder 300 and input selector 310 as functions of broadcast signal relay device 100 .

<<6. Summary>>
Thus far, several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1-22. In the above-described embodiment, the broadcast signal relay device of the broadcasting station system receives the generated IP packet on the second communication channel different from the first communication channel in parallel with the radio signal on the first communication channel. Send to device. As a result, it is possible to reduce the number of devices in the broadcasting station system 1 and effectively prevent interruption of transmission of broadcast signals at low cost.

In one embodiment, a broadcast signal relay device of a broadcast station system generates IP packets based on the broadcast signal that has passed through the first transmitter. As a result, in the broadcast signal receiving apparatus that receives the radio signal and the IP packet in parallel, the system for processing the radio signal and the system for processing the IP packet can share at least a part of the configuration. can. This simplifies the configuration of the broadcast signal receiving apparatus and facilitates selection of received signals.

In one embodiment, a broadcast signal relay device of a broadcast station system comprises a delay unit for delaying transmission of IP packets generated based on the broadcast signal. This makes it possible to reduce the capacity of the memory for compensating the delay difference in the broadcast signal receiving apparatus.

In one embodiment, a broadcast signal relay device of a broadcast station system delays transmission of IP packets by a delay amount determined according to parameters relating to processing performed by the first transmitter. As a result, the broadcast signal relay device on the transmission side can adjust the delay using the delay time corresponding to the amount of delay associated with the processing of the radio signal. As a result, the broadcast signal receiver can effectively perform seamless switching of received signals.

In one embodiment, the broadcast signal receiving apparatus selects a received signal in which no error exists based on the error flag, from among the received signals of either the first received signal or the second received signal. As for the processing portion of error correction decoding, the configuration of hardware and software for realizing the processing portion can be shared between the first receiving section and the second receiving section. Furthermore, the selection unit of the broadcast signal receiving apparatus does not need to determine whether an error has been detected in the received signal. As a result, simplification of the configuration of the broadcast signal receiving apparatus can be realized, and interruption of transmission of the broadcast signal can be effectively prevented at low cost.

Note that the technology according to the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that these embodiments are illustrative only and that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure.

For example, the process steps shown in the flowcharts do not necessarily have to be performed in the order shown. For example, the processing steps may be performed in a different order than shown, and two or more processing steps may be performed in parallel. Also, some processing steps may be deleted and further processing steps may be added.

Also, the functions of the apparatus described herein may be implemented in software, hardware, or a combination of software and hardware. Program instructions of a computer program constituting software are stored, for example, in a computer-readable storage medium inside or outside each device, and are read into a memory and executed by a processor when executed.

Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described in the following additional remarks, but are not limited to the following.

(Appendix 1)
A broadcast signal relay device for a broadcasting station system,
A first transmission unit that generates a radio signal based on an input broadcast signal and transmits the generated radio signal to a receiving device of the broadcasting station system on a first communication channel that is a radio channel of the broadcasting station system. and,
IP packets are generated based on the broadcast signal, and the generated IP packets are transmitted over a second communication channel different from the first communication channel in parallel with the radio signal over the first communication channel. a second transmission unit that transmits to the receiving device;
A broadcast signal relay device comprising:

(Appendix 2)
The broadcast signal relay device according to appendix 1, wherein the second transmission unit generates the IP packet based on the broadcast signal that has passed through the first transmission unit.

(Appendix 3)
The broadcast signal relay device according to appendix 2, wherein the broadcast signal that has passed through the first transmission unit is a broadcast signal after error correction coding.

(Appendix 4)
The broadcast signal relay device according to appendix 2, wherein the broadcast signal that has passed through the first transmission unit is a broadcast signal after framing.

(Appendix 5)
The broadcast signal relay device according to appendix 2, wherein the broadcast signal that has passed through the first transmission unit is a stuffed broadcast signal.

(Appendix 6)
The broadcast signal relay device according to appendix 2, wherein the broadcast signal that has passed through the first transmission unit is a broadcast signal before stuffing.

(Appendix 7)
7. The broadcast signal relay device according to any one of appendices 1 to 6, wherein the second transmission unit includes a delay unit that delays transmission of the IP packet generated based on the broadcast signal.

(Appendix 8)
8. The broadcast signal relay device according to appendix 7, wherein the delay unit delays transmission of the IP packet by a delay amount determined according to a parameter related to processing performed by the first transmission unit.

(Appendix 9)
a storage unit that stores delay amounts corresponding to a plurality of candidate values of the parameter;
a setting unit configured to set the delay amount to be used by the delay unit among the delay amounts stored in the storage unit;
The broadcast signal relay device according to appendix 8, comprising:

(Appendix 10)
The broadcast signal relay device according to appendix 8 or appendix 9, wherein the parameters include one or more of a modulation order corresponding to modulation processing, a coding rate corresponding to error correction processing, and a time interleaving length corresponding to interleaving processing. .

(Appendix 11)
A broadcast signal relay system comprising: the broadcast signal relay device according to any one of appendices 1 to 10; and the receiving device.

(Appendix 12)
The receiving device
a first receiver that receives the radio signal on the first communication channel and generates a first received signal from the received radio signal;
a second receiver that receives the IP packet on the second communication channel and generates a second reception signal from the received IP packet;
a selection unit that selects one of the first reception signal from the first reception unit and the second reception signal from the second reception unit;
12. The broadcast signal relay system of claim 11, comprising:

(Appendix 13)
The first receiving unit includes a first error determining unit that performs error detection on the first received signal and adds an error flag to the first received signal when an error is detected,
The second receiving unit includes a second error determining unit that performs error detection on the second received signal and adds an error flag to the second received signal when an error is detected,
13. The method according to appendix 12, wherein the selection unit selects a received signal in which no error exists based on the error flag, from among the received signals of either the first received signal or the second received signal. Broadcast signal relay system.

(Appendix 14)
generating a radio signal for transmission to a receiving device of a broadcasting station system based on an input broadcast signal, and transmitting the generated radio signal on a first communication channel, which is a radio channel of the broadcasting station system, to the receiving device and sending to
generating an IP packet for transmission to the receiving device based on the broadcast signal, and transmitting the generated IP packet to the radio signal on the first communication channel in parallel with the first communication channel; transmitting to the receiving device over a different second communication channel;
A broadcast signal relay method comprising:

1 Broadcast station system 2 (2a, 2b) FPU device 3 (3a to 3c) FPU base station 4 Receiving equipment 5 Transmitting station 10 First communication channel 20 Second communication channel 100 Broadcast signal relay device 110 First transmission unit 111 Stuffing unit 112 Framing section 113 Error correction encoding section 114 Interleaving section 115 Modulating section 120 Second transmitting section 121 Delay section 122 TS/IP converting section 130 Storage section 140 Setting section 200 Broadcast signal receiving device 210 First receiving section 211 Demodulating section 212 1 deinterleaving unit 213 first error correction decoding unit/error determination unit 220 second reception unit 221 IP/TS conversion unit 222 second deinterleaving unit 223 second error correction decoding unit/error determination unit 230 selection unit 231 first memory 232 second memory 233 delay adjustment unit 234 selector

Claims (10)

A broadcast signal relay device for a broadcasting station system,
A first transmission unit that generates a radio signal based on an input broadcast signal and transmits the generated radio signal to a receiving device of the broadcasting station system on a first communication channel that is a radio channel of the broadcasting station system. and,
IP packets are generated based on the broadcast signal, and the generated IP packets are transmitted over a second communication channel different from the first communication channel in parallel with the radio signal over the first communication channel. a second transmission unit that transmits to the receiving device;
with
The second transmission unit includes a delay unit that delays transmission of the IP packet generated based on the broadcast signal by a delay amount determined according to a parameter related to processing performed by the first transmission unit. Signal repeater. 2. The broadcast signal relay device according to claim 1, wherein said second transmitter generates said IP packet based on said broadcast signal that has passed through said first transmitter. 3. The broadcast signal relay device according to claim 2, wherein the broadcast signal that has passed through the first transmission unit is a broadcast signal after error correction coding. 3. The broadcast signal relay device according to claim 2, wherein the broadcast signal that has passed through the first transmitter is a framed broadcast signal. 3. The broadcast signal repeater according to claim 2, wherein the broadcast signal that has passed through the first transmitter is a stuffed broadcast signal. a storage unit that stores delay amounts corresponding to a plurality of candidate values of the parameter;
a setting unit configured to set the delay amount to be used by the delay unit among the delay amounts stored in the storage unit;
6. The broadcast signal repeater according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: 7. The parameter according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the parameters include one or more of a modulation order corresponding to modulation processing, a coding rate corresponding to error correction processing, and a time interleaving length corresponding to interleaving processing. A broadcast signal repeater as described. A broadcast signal relay system comprising: the broadcast signal relay device according to any one of claims 1 to 7; and the receiving device. The receiving device
a first receiver that receives the radio signal on the first communication channel and generates a first received signal from the received radio signal;
a second receiver that receives the IP packet on the second communication channel and generates a second reception signal from the received IP packet;
a selection unit that selects one of the first reception signal from the first reception unit and the second reception signal from the second reception unit;
9. The broadcast signal relay system of claim 8, comprising: generating a radio signal for transmission to a receiving device of a broadcasting station system based on an input broadcast signal, and transmitting the generated radio signal to the receiving device on a first communication channel which is a radio channel of the broadcasting station system and sending to
generating an IP packet for transmission to the receiving device based on the broadcast signal, and transmitting the generated IP packet to the radio signal on the first communication channel in parallel with the first communication channel; transmitting to the receiving device over a different second communication channel;
with
Transmitting the IP packet includes delaying transmission of the IP packet generated based on the broadcast signal by a delay amount determined according to parameters related to processing performed in transmitting the wireless signal. , broadcast signal relay method.

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