System, method, and apparatus for playing back a plurality of video elementary streams with one playback channel

• US 20040264940A1
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Published: 12/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hulmani, Girish, Thangaraj, Arul, Bhatia, Sandeep
• Granted Patent: US 8,731,378 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/330
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10722 wherein the size of the buffer is variable, e.g. by adding additional memory cells for coping with input streams that have high bit rates
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/44 Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/70 characterised by syntax aspects related to video coding, e.g. related to compression standards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42661 for reading from or writing on a magnetic storage medium, e.g. hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer

Abstract

A system, method, and apparatus for playback of multiple video elementary streams is presented herein. A host processor modifies the video elementary streams to allow a transport demultiplexer to distinguish among the plurality of the video elementary streams.

Claims

1. A system for playing back a plurality of video elementary streams, said system comprising:

a decoder for decoding the video elementary streams;

a plurality of buffers for storing the video elementary streams, wherein each of the buffers stores a particular one of the plurality of elementary streams; and

a demultiplexer for distinguishing each of the plurality of video elementary streams.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor for writing identifiers in the plurality of video elementary streams.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the processor writes the identifiers in the first byte of transport packets.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processor for providing a picture from one of the plurality of video elementary streams and providing another picture from another one of the plurality of video elementary streams responsive to providing the picture from the one of the plurality of video elementary streams.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor aligns start codes with the transport packet headers.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a start code table for associating start codes in the video elementary streams with locations in the buffers.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

another memory for storing the plurality of video elementary streams.

8. A method for playing back a plurality of video elementary streams, said method comprising:

receiving the plurality of video elementary streams;

demultiplexing the plurality of video elementary streams; and

storing each of the plurality of video elementary streams in a particular one of a corresponding plurality of buffers.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

packetizing the plurality of video elementary streams into fixed length packets.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the fixed length packets comprise headers storing indicators identifying particular ones of the plurality of video elementary streams.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

aligning start codes with the fixed length packets.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting one or more fixed length packets, wherein the one or more fixed length packets store therein, a particular picture from a particular one of the plurality of video elementary streams; and

transmitting another one or more fixed length packets, wherein the another one of more fixed length packets store therein, another particular picture from another particular another one of the plurality of video elementary streams, responsive to transmitting the one or more packets.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

associating start codes in the plurality of video elementary streams with locations in the buffers.

14. An apparatus for playing back a plurality of video elementary streams, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of buffers storing the plurality of video elementary streams, wherein each of the buffers stores a particular one of the plurality of video elementary streams; and

a demultiplexer connected to the plurality of buffers writing each of the plurality of video elementary streams in a particular one of the plurality of buffers; and

a decoder connected to the plurality of buffers, wherein the decoder simultaneously decodes the plurality of video elementary streams stored in the buffers.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a processor connected to the plurality of buffers, wherein the processor modifies the plurality of video elementary streams.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a start code table connected to the processor associating start codes in the video elementary streams with locations in the buffers.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a hard disc drive connected to the processor storing the plurality of video elementary streams.