Mechanisms for reduction of overlap during zone casting with alternative main transmitters and time alignment for overlayed radio transmissions
View Patent ↗Radio broadcasting equipment and functionality enable a radio broadcaster to reduce the size of an interference overlap resulting from main transmitter and booster signal transmitter overlap during zone casting by using an alternate main transmitter with an antenna pattern that differs from the main transmitter antenna pattern during zone casts. Radio broadcasting equipment is also provided that provides a mechanism to ensure that the handoffs occur in the gaps between songs, advertisements, or other content of both the main and the zone casting signals.
1. Radio broadcasting equipment comprising:
at least one auxiliary transmitter associated with at least one main transmitter, wherein the at least one main transmitter transmits broadcast area wide programming on a radio frequency for a broadcast area, and wherein the at least one auxiliary transmitter transmits on the same radio frequency as the at least one main transmitter;
an alternate main transmitter for transmitting the broadcast area wide programming on the radio frequency for the broadcast area, wherein the alternate main transmitter transmits on the same radio frequency as the at least one main transmitter and the at least one auxiliary transmitter, and wherein the alternate main transmitter has a power contour specifically designed to minimize interference between a signal transmitted by the at least one auxiliary transmitter and a signal transmitted by the at least one main transmitter during zone casting transmission within the broadcast area associated with the at least one main transmitter; and
at least one processor running software to control synchronization of output of content of the signal transmitted by the at least one main transmitter, the alternate main transmitter and the at least one auxiliary transmitter as well as control synchronization of output of content of the signal transmitted by the at least one auxiliary transmitter with content of the signal transmitted by the at least one main transmitter,
wherein the control synchronization delays the output of the content transmitted by the at least one auxiliary transmitter relative to the output of the content of the signal transmitted by the at least one main transmitter, and
wherein interaction between the signals transmitted by the at least one auxiliary transmitter and the alternate main transmitter reduces a size of an interference overlap resulting from main transmitter signal transmission and auxiliary transmitter signal transmission.
2. The radio broadcasting equipment of claim 1 , wherein the broadcast area is a radio broadcasters' listening area.
3. The radio broadcasting equipment of claim 1 , wherein the alternate main transmitter is co-located with the at least one main transmitter.
4. The radio broadcasting equipment of claim 1 , wherein the radio frequency is a frequency modulation (FM) frequency.
5. The radio broadcasting equipment of claim 1 , wherein the at least one auxiliary transmitter is one of a plurality of auxiliary transmitters associated with the at least one main transmitter that are configured to transmit signals at a single and selectable broadcast frequency.
6. The radio broadcasting equipment of claim 1 , wherein the at least one main transmitter ceases signal transmission during signal transmission by the alternate main transmitter of the broadcast area wide programming as part of a period of zone casting.
7. The radio broadcasting equipment of claim 1 , wherein the at least one auxiliary transmitter and the at least one main transmitter transmit analog radio signals.
8. The radio broadcasting equipment of claim 1 , wherein the at least one auxiliary transmitter and the at least one main transmitter transmit digital audio signals.
9. The radio broadcasting equipment of claim 1 , wherein the delay of output in the synchronization control includes insertion of at least one pause into at least one gap between content elements in the signal transmitted from the at least one main transmitter in a manner that the output of content in the signal transmitted from the at least one auxiliary transmitter starts during a pause or gap in output of the broadcast area wide programming content transmitted from the at least one main transmitter.
10. The radio broadcasting equipment of claim 1 , wherein the at least one auxiliary transmitter is utilized both during zone casting transmissions in allocated time slots and also during main transmitter transmission by the at least one main transmitter for a remainder of transmission time.
11. A method of radio broadcasting comprising:
transmitting auxiliary content, via at least one auxiliary transmitter associated with at least one main transmitter;
transmitting broadcast area wide programming, via the at least one main transmitter on a radio frequency for a broadcast area, wherein the at least one main transmitter and at least one auxiliary transmitter both transmit on the same radio frequency;
transmitting the broadcast area wide programming, via an alternate main transmitter, on the radio frequency for the broadcast area, wherein the alternate main transmitter transmits on the same radio frequency as the at least one main transmitter and the at least one auxiliary transmitter, and wherein the alternate main transmitter has a power contour specifically designed to minimize interference between a signal transmitted by the at least one auxiliary transmitter and a signal transmitted by the at least one main transmitter during zone casting transmission within the broadcast area associated with the at least one main transmitter; and
controlling synchronization, by at least one processor running software, of output of content of the signal transmitted by the at least one main transmitter, the alternate main transmitter and the at least one auxiliary transmitter as well as control synchronization of output of content of the signal transmitted by the at least one auxiliary transmitter with content of the signal transmitted by the at least one main transmitter,
wherein the control synchronization delays the output of the content transmitted by the at least one auxiliary transmitter relative to the output of the content of the signal transmitted by the at least one main transmitter, and
wherein interaction between the signals transmitted by the at least one auxiliary transmitter and the alternate main transmitter reduces a size of an interference overlap resulting from main transmitter signal transmission and auxiliary transmitter signal transmission.
12. The radio broadcasting method of claim 11 , wherein the broadcast area is a radio broadcasters' listening area.
13. The radio broadcasting method of claim 11 , wherein the alternate main transmitter is co-located with the at least one main transmitter.
14. The radio broadcasting method of claim 11 , wherein the radio frequency is a frequency modulation (FM) frequency.
15. The radio broadcasting method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one auxiliary transmitter is one of a plurality of auxiliary transmitters associated with the at least one main transmitter that are configured to transmit signals at a single and selectable broadcast frequency.
16. The radio broadcasting method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one main transmitter ceases signal transmission during signal transmission by the alternate main transmitter of the broadcast area wide programming as part of a period of zone casting.
17. The radio broadcasting method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one auxiliary transmitter and the at least one main transmitter transmit analog radio signals.
18. The radio broadcasting method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one auxiliary transmitter and the at least one main transmitter transmit digital audio signals.
19. The radio broadcasting method of claim 11 , wherein the delay of output in the synchronization control includes insertion of at least one pause into at least one gap between content elements in the signal transmitted from the at least one main transmitter in a manner that the output of content in the signal transmitted from the at least one auxiliary transmitter starts during a pause or gap in output of the broadcast area wide content transmitted from the at least one main transmitter.
20. The radio broadcasting method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one auxiliary transmitter is utilized both during zone casting transmissions in allocated time slots and also during main transmitter transmission by the at least one main transmitter for a remainder of transmission time.