Systems and methods are presented for insertion of assets into a stream of content (e.g., audio and/or video programming). Such assets may be targeted to network users separate from the surrounding content and deliveries thereof confirmed. Among other things, these systems and methods enable a new advertising paradigm based on guaranteed delivery of targeted commercial impressions. In this regard, the systems and methods generally provide assets with broadcast network programming (e.g., via actual insertion and/or switching to an asset channel) based on actual audience observations. For example, asset providers may wish to target assets for delivery according to specific audience classifications (e.g., gender, income level, locale, age, etc.). Programming providers, such as television programmers and radio programmers (e.g., standard tower broadcast radio and satellite radio), may receive information from broadcast network users and insert the assets into available bandwidth based on that information.

A method for processing audio signals in a radio transmitter, includes: receiving an analog audio sample stream and a digital audio sample stream; determining offsets in time between the analog audio stream and the digital audio stream using a normalized cross-correlation of audio envelopes of the analog audio sample stream and the digital audio sample stream; filtering the determined offsets in time to produce filtered offset values; determining an alignment slip adjustment value as a function of the filtered offset values; aligning the analog audio sample stream and the digital audio sample stream using the determined alignment slip adjustment value; and generating a hybrid radio signal for broadcast that includes time-aligned analog audio and digital audio.

A method for processing audio signals in a radio transmitter, includes: receiving an analog audio sample stream and a digital audio sample stream; determining offsets in time between the analog audio stream and the digital audio stream using a normalized cross-correlation of audio envelopes of the analog audio sample stream and the digital audio sample stream; filtering the determined offsets in time to produce filtered offset values; determining an alignment slip adjustment value as a function of the filtered offset values; aligning the analog audio sample stream and the digital audio sample stream using the determined alignment slip adjustment value; and generating a hybrid radio signal for broadcast that includes time-aligned analog audio and digital audio.

Disclosed herein are a method for providing an ad-hoc broadcast service based on channel sharing and an apparatus for the same. The method is configured such that a master broadcast transmitter for providing an ad-hoc broadcast service receives a request to share a channel from a new broadcast transmitter, allocates one of multiple subframes, into which the transmission frame of any one broadcast channel corresponding to the ad-hoc broadcast service is divided, to the new broadcast transmitter, and controls the new broadcast transmitter in real time by performing synchronization with the new broadcast transmitter based on reference time information included in a control Physical Layer Pipe (PLP).

Disclosed herein are a method for providing an ad-hoc broadcast service based on channel sharing and an apparatus for the same. The method is configured such that a master broadcast transmitter for providing an ad-hoc broadcast service receives a request to share a channel from a new broadcast transmitter, allocates one of multiple subframes, into which the transmission frame of any one broadcast channel corresponding to the ad-hoc broadcast service is divided, to the new broadcast transmitter, and controls the new broadcast transmitter in real time by performing synchronization with the new broadcast transmitter based on reference time information included in a control Physical Layer Pipe (PLP).

The present disclosure provides a data transmission method of a system in an IP based broadcasting network, the data transmission method comprising the steps of: generating an MPEG media transport protocol (MMTP) packet using a media processing unit (MPU) for a service; generating an IP packet using the MMTP packet; generating a layer 2 (L2) packet using the IP packet and generating a layer 1 (L1) packet stream using the L2 packet; and transmitting the L1 packet stream, wherein absolute time information of the system is included in one of a transmission frame of the L1 packet stream and the L2 packet.

The present disclosure provides a data transmission method of a system in an IP based broadcasting network, the data transmission method comprising the steps of: generating an MPEG media transport protocol (MMTP) packet using a media processing unit (MPU) for a service; generating an IP packet using the MMTP packet; generating a layer 2 (L2) packet using the IP packet and generating a layer 1 (L1) packet stream using the L2 packet; and transmitting the L1 packet stream, wherein absolute time information of the system is included in one of a transmission frame of the L1 packet stream and the L2 packet.

A radio signal processing circuit comprises multiple audio blend channels, an audio decoder, a program selector and a blending circuit. The audio blend channels are configured to receive digital audio packets for multiple supplemental audio programs. Each audio blend channel includes an audio blend buffer and a signal quality metric circuit. The signal quality metric (SQM) circuit configured to determines an audio quality indicator for the digital audio packets of the program and indicates availability of the program according to the audio quality indicator regardless of whether the program is selected for play. The program selector configured to provides digital audio packets from a selected audio blend channel to the audio decoder to produce a digital audio signal. The blending circuit blends the digital audio signal produced for the selected audio blend channel with a signal representing silence according to the audio quality indicator for the audio blend channel.

A radio signal processing circuit comprises multiple audio blend channels, an audio decoder, a program selector and a blending circuit. The audio blend channels are configured to receive digital audio packets for multiple supplemental audio programs. Each audio blend channel includes an audio blend buffer and a signal quality metric circuit. The signal quality metric (SQM) circuit configured to determines an audio quality indicator for the digital audio packets of the program and indicates availability of the program according to the audio quality indicator regardless of whether the program is selected for play. The program selector configured to provides digital audio packets from a selected audio blend channel to the audio decoder to produce a digital audio signal. The blending circuit blends the digital audio signal produced for the selected audio blend channel with a signal representing silence according to the audio quality indicator for the audio blend channel.

A method for selecting a data stream for distribution to a plurality of broadcasting sites. The method includes: receiving a main data stream and a back-up data stream respectively, generated by a main broadcast gateway and a secondary broadcast gateway respectively, from source data, called a main stream and a secondary stream respectively; receiving at least one packet including a piece of information representative of a quality of service associated with the main stream and the secondary stream respectively, at one instant at least or over one given period at least, the at least one packet, called a main current packet and a secondary current packet respectively, being generated by the main broadcast gateway and secondary broadcast gateway respectively; and selecting in real time the main stream or the secondary stream respectively in taking account of the main current packet and secondary current packet, delivering the data stream for distribution.