WEGENER Receives Two U.S. Patents

December 18, 2007

Source: Wegener

Wegener Corporation, a leading provider of equipment for television, audio, and data distribution networks worldwide, today announced it has been granted two U.S. patents for innovative techniques designed to improve the quality and efficiency of satellite media distribution networks.

Apparatus and Method for Accommodating Loss of Signal

The first patent, entitled "Apparatus and Method for Accommodating Loss of Signal," (Patent # 7,263,648), describes an innovative method for simultaneously recording and playing back digital media content from flash memory storage. WEGENER recognized a need for this capability since it is not readily inherent in off-the-shelf flash memory products.

WEGENER's patented solution allows the flash memory within digital satellite receivers to periodically receive audio segments via satellite and record them to flash, while simultaneously playing digitized audio segments from the same flash memory. This is done without any perceived interruption of services from the listener's perspective. Recorded media can playout from flash memory when instructed to do so to ensure a reliable, seamless presentation.

WEGENER has already embedded this technology into its digital audio satellite receivers as a low-cost solution for store/forward advertising and disaster recovery audio services. Tens of thousands of units using this patented technology have been sold, shipped, and are in operation worldwide.

Error Correction Apparatus and Method

The second patent, entitled "Error Correction Apparatus and Method," (Patent #7,296,204), describes a bandwidth-efficient process for ensuring flawless file distribution within a satellite media distribution network. When a file is transmitted via satellite, this process enables the digital satellite receiver to determine if all of the content in a given file has been received. If data is missing, the receiver notifies the sender—via a terrestrial back channel such as the Internet—precisely which data packets are missing.

The information from multiple error status reports is then aggregated by the control system of the transmitter and used to retransmit only those data packets in question. The process is repeated until the receiver reports that the complete file has been received. This real-time process is an advanced alternative to the industry-standard method of Forward Error Correction, which always sends additional data, not just the missing packets, resulting in greater consumption of bandwidth.

Applicable solely to store/forward file transmission, this patented process is being incorporated within many WEGENER solutions, including COMPEL Network Control, iPump Media Servers, and Media Plan Content Management.

"With the award of these two new patents, WEGENER continues to grow its patent portfolio for multi-site media distribution technology," stated Ned L. Mountain, President and COO of WEGENER. "For our customers, conserving bandwidth is vital to holding the line on costs, maximizing valuable transponder space, and ultimately, being able to transmit more media signals and services in the same transponder space."

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