Channel hopping scheme for update of data for multiple services across multiple digital broadcast channels

1. In a digital broadcast receiving device configured to receive programming and data over a plurality of digital broadcast channels, a method for updating data broadcast over different channels, comprising:

a) receiving a first digital broadcast signal over a first digital broadcast channel, wherein the first digital broadcast signal includes a schedule packet with data identifying a time that an update packet will be broadcast as part of a second digital broadcast signal over a second digital broadcast channel and information relating to a time of broadcast of a subsequent schedule packet or a duty cycle with which schedule packets are broadcast;

b) tuning the receiving device to the second digital broadcast channel, wherein the receiving device takes into account the time of broadcast of the subsequent schedule packet or the duty cycle in determining when to tune to the second digital broadcast channel to receive the update packet;

c) receiving the second broadcast signal including the update packet over the second digital broadcast channel, wherein the second digital broadcast signal includes data associated with one or more services resident on the receiving device;

d) extracting selected data associated with one or more of the services from the updated packet; and

e) storing or utilizing the selected data with the receiving device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first digital broadcast signal includes television programming mixed with overlaid data.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the overlaid data is associated with the first digital broadcast channel.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the overlaid data is data associated with another digital broadcast channel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a) includes storing information derived from the first digital broadcast signal in a buffer.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising displaying images derived from the information stored in the buffer during b).

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving device includes a tuner, wherein a) includes tuning the tuner to the first digital broadcast channel and wherein b) includes tuning the tuner to the second digital broadcast channel at the predetermined time.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, identifying data missing from the second digital broadcast signal that was not received as part of an update and retrieving the missing data.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a geographic location of the receiving device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein b) includes selecting the second digital broadcast channel based on the geographic location of the receiving device.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein d) includes extracting selected data based on the geographic location.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein b) includes selecting the second digital broadcast channel based on a schedule of update priority for the one or more services resident on the receiving device.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein b) includes determining the predetermined time from data embedded in the digital first broadcast signal.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the data embedded in the first broadcast stream indicates a time of a relevant data gap in the first digital broadcast signal.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving device includes a first tuner and a second tuner, wherein a) includes tuning the first tuner to the first digital broadcast channel and wherein b) includes tuning the second tuner to the second digital broadcast channel at the predetermined time and wherein c) includes receiving the second digital broadcast signal with the second tuner while receiving the first digital broadcast signal with the first tuner.

16. A digital broadcast receiving device, comprising:

a receiver unit configured to receive programming and data over a plurality of digital broadcast channels,

a processor coupled to the receiver unit;

a memory coupled to the processor;

a set of processor readable instructions embodied in the memory for execution on the processor, the instructions being configured to implement a method for updating data broadcast over different channels, comprising:

a) receiving a first digital broadcast signal over a first digital broadcast channel, wherein the first digital broadcast signal includes a schedule packet with data identifying a predetermined time that an update packet will be broadcast as part of a second digital broadcast signal over a second digital broadcast channel and information relating to a time of broadcast of a subsequent schedule packet or a duty cycle with which schedule packets are broadcast;

b) receiving the second digital broadcast signal including the update packet over the second digital broadcast channel with the receiver unit, wherein the second digital broadcast signal includes data associated with one or more services resident on the receiving device, wherein the receiving device is configured to take into account the time of broadcast of the subsequent schedule packet or the duty cycle in determining when to tune to the second digital broadcast channel to receive the update packet;

c) extracting data associated with one or more of the services from the update packet; and

d) storing the data in the memory or utilizing the data in program executed on the processor.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the receiver includes a single tuner.

18. The device of claim 16 wherein the receiver includes first and second tuners.

19. The device of claim 16 , further comprising a geographical positioning system coupled to the processor.