A flexible transmission technique for the satellite ISDB system

A new transmission technique which can achieve suitable quality and reliability for satellite ISDB (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting) is introduced. The transmission system for satellite ISDB must have high spectrum efficiency, continuous service availability and also superior flexibility in its transmission scheme. This paper first studies appropriate transmission schemes, taking account of the 12 GHz band DBS (direct broadcasting satellite) system. Then, employing a hierarchical transmission technique and a newly proposed TMCC (transmission and multiplexing configuration control) signal, it describes the requirements for satellite ISDB. The hierarchical transmission extends the service availability under heavy rainfall conditions. The TMCC signal can change the transmission configuration depending on the program content and the weather conditions. In addition, a generalized method for the design of transmission configurations for satellite ISDB is presented.