Patent ID: 7010038

Claim:
A VSB transmitter for use with an MPEG data signal and a supplemental data signal, the VSB transmitter comprising: a VSB supplemental data processor configured to preprocess the supplemental data signal, the VSB supplemental data processor comprising: a forward error correction coder that codes only the supplemental data signal; a null bits inserter for inserting a plurality of null bits into only the supplemental data signal subjected to the forward error correction coder; a header inserter for inserting a header to only the supplemental data signal having the null bits inserted therein; and a multiplexer for multiplexing the MPEG data signal and the preprocessed supplemental data signal having the header inserted thereto in at least one of a predetermined multiplexing ratio and unit; and a VSB transmission system connected to the VSB supplemental data processor for coding the multiplexed data signal for forward error correction, and for modulating the coded multiplexed signal to form at least one data field comprising a plurality of segments that includes at least one segment formed from the supplemental data signal and at least one segment formed of the MPEG data signal.