Apparatus and method of multiple decoding

• US 20020003845A1
• Filed: 07/09/2001
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sovereign Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kamiya, Akira
• Granted Patent: US 7,433,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/340
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0045 Arrangements at the receiver end
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 25/14 Channel dividing arrangements , i.e. in which a single bit stream is divided between several baseband channels and reassembled at the receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42607 for processing the incoming bitstream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42615 involving specific demultiplexing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams

Abstract

A data extractor 110 extracts data which coincides with set conditions from input data. A buffer 120 stores the extracted data. A data flow controller 130 distributes the data in the buffer 120 among separate buffers 14i (i=1 to n) and transfers the data in accordance with the set conditions. Each of the separate buffers 14i stores the transferred data. Decoders 15i respectively decode the data stored in the separate buffers 14i. A buffer manager 160 manages the buffer 120, and a separate buffer manager 170 manages the separate buffers 14i. A decoding controller 180 controls decoding performed by each of the decoders 15i. A reproduction controller 190 provides an instruction required to select desired data and reproduce the selected data.

Consequently, decoding and reproduction of a plurality of data in digital broadcasting are realized, thereby making it possible to recover, when an error occurs, from the error.

Claims

1. A multiple decoding apparatus receiving a signal composed of a plurality of encoded data for simultaneously decoding two or more of the data, comprising:

a reproduction controller for outputting various types of control information related to decoding and reproduction of the data;

a data extractor receiving said signal for extracting the two or more data designated by said control information;

a buffer storing the data extracted by said data extractor;

a buffer manager for controlling said buffer in accordance with said control information for said buffer;

a data flow controller for distributing the data stored in said buffer for each type and transferring the data in accordance with provided transfer conditions;

a plurality of separate buffers for respectively storing the data distributed and transferred by said data flow controller;

a separate buffer manager for respectively controlling said separate buffers in accordance with information related to the specification of said separate buffer;

a plurality of decoders respectively corresponding to said plurality of separate buffers for decoding the data stored in said separate buffers and outputting the decoded data; and

a decoding controller for selecting said separate buffer and said decoder which are used for the decoding in accordance with said control information, and outputting information related to the selected separate buffer, said transfer conditions based on the selected separate buffer, and an instruction to start the decoding, respectively, to said separate buffer manager, said data flow controller, and said selected decoder.

2. The multiple decoding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said buffer manager outputs, when said buffer becomes full of the data, an overflow notification to said reproduction controller,

said reproduction controller outputs, upon receipt of said overflow notification, an instruction to stop the data extraction to said data extractor, and outputs an initialization instruction to said decoding controller;

said decoding controller outputs, upon receipt of the initialization instruction from said reproduction controller, an instruction to initialize all said plurality of separate buffers to said separate buffer manager, outputs to said buffer manager an instruction to initialize said buffer, and respectively outputs instructions to stop the decoding to all said plurality of decoders,

said buffer manager initializes said buffer in accordance with the initialization instruction from said decoding controller,

said separate buffer manager initializes all said plurality of separate buffers in accordance with the initialization instruction from said decoding controller, and

all the processing which is stopped is resumed after all said buffer and said plurality of separate buffers are initialized.

3. The multiple decoding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said separate buffer manager outputs, when the specific separate buffer becomes full of the data, an overflow notification that the specific separate buffer overflows to said decoding controller,

said decoding controller outputs, upon receipt of the overflow notification that said specific separate buffer overflows, an instruction to stop the data transfer to the specific separate buffer to said data flow controller, outputs an instruction to stop the decoding to said decoder corresponding to the specific separate buffer, and outputs to said separate buffer manager an instruction to initialize the specific separate buffer,

said separate buffer manager initializes said specific separate buffer in accordance with the initialization instruction from said decoding controller, and

all the processing which is stopped is resumed after said specific separate buffer is initialized.

4. The multiple decoding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said separate buffer manager outputs, when the specific separate buffer becomes full of the data, an overflow notification that the specific separate buffer overflows to said decoding controller,

said decoding controller outputs, upon receipt of the overflow notification that said specific separate buffer overflows, an instruction to discard the data directed toward the specific separate buffer to said data flow controller, outputs an instruction to stop the decoding to said decoder corresponding to the specific separate buffer, and outputs an instruction to initialize the specific separate buffer to said separate buffer manager,

said separate buffer manager initializes said specific separate buffer in accordance with the initialization instruction from said decoding controller, and

all the processing which is stopped is resumed, and the discard of said data is released after said specific separate buffer is initialized.

5. A multiple decoding method, in which a signal composed of a plurality of encoded data is inputted, to simultaneously decode two or more of the data, comprising the steps of:

inputting said signal and extracting the two or more data to be decoded and reproduced;

storing said extracted data in a buffer;

distributing the data stored in said buffer for each type and respectively storing the data in the plurality of separate buffers; and

respectively decoding the data stored in said plurality of separate buffers and outputting the decoded data.

6. The multiple decoding method according to claim 5, further comprising, when said buffer becomes full of the data, the steps of

stopping extraction and decoding of the data,

initializing all said buffer and said plurality of separate buffers, and

resuming all the processing which is stopped after all said buffer and said plurality of separate buffers are initialized.

7. The multiple decoding method according to claim 5, further comprising, when the specific separate buffer becomes full of the data, the steps of

stopping the distribution of the data into said specific separate buffer and the decoding of the data stored in the specific separate buffer,

initializing said specific separate buffer;

and

resuming all the processing which is stopped after said specific separate buffer is initialized.

8. The multiple decoding method according to claim 5, further comprising,

when the specific separate buffer becomes full of the data, the steps of

discarding the data directed toward said specific separate buffer,

stopping the decoding of the data stored in said specific separate buffer,

initializing said specific separate buffer, and

resuming all the processing which is stopped after said specific separate buffer is initialized, and releasing the discard of said data.