Separating device and method and signal receiving device and method

• US 20050163165A1
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Published: 07/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Adachi, Hiroshi, Yamamoto, Yosuke, Noda, Tatsushi
• Granted Patent: US 7,529,277 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/486
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4344 Remultiplexing of multiplex streams, e.g. by modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052

Abstract

A separating device and method and a signal receiving device and method are presented. The separating device and method receive plural data streams and then separate and extract at least a portion of data from the received data streams. The signal receiving device and method receive plural data streams and then select, separate and extract at least a portion of the data from the data streams. Then the signal receiving device and method apply signal processing to the portion of the data that has been selected, separated and extracted.

Claims

1. A separating device for separating/extracting program data of one or more specified programs from a plurality of data streams formed of plural program data multiplexed per a fixed unit, the separating device comprising:

a selecting unit operable to receive the plurality of data streams and to select at least part of the plurality of data streams; and

a separator operable to extract program data of the one or more specified programs from the at least part of the plurality of data streams.

2. The separating device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a multiplexer operable to produce the at least part of the plurality of data streams or program data of the one or more specified desired programs to be sent out from the separator.

3. The separating device according to claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of data streams are formed of the plural program data packetized and multiplexed per the fixed unit; and

the separator being separable to output program data of the one or more specified programs as packetized data.

4. A method for separating/extracting program data of one or more specified programs from a plurality of data streams formed of plural program data multiplexed per a fixed unit, the method comprising:

receiving the plurality of data streams and selecting at least part of the plurality of data streams; and

extracting program data of the one or more specified programs from the at least part of the plurality of data streams.

5. The separating/extracting method according to claim 4, further comprising:

multiplexing said at least part of the plurality of data streams or program data of the one or more specified programs to be sent out after the extracting step.

6. The separating/extracting method according to claim 4, wherein:

each of the plurality of data streams is formed of the plural program data packetized and multiplexed per the fixed unit; and

the extracting step outputs program data of the one or more specified programs as packetized data.

7. A signal receiving device for receiving a plurality of data streams formed of program data of plural programs multiplexed per a fixed unit, the data streams being transmitted as multiple transmission signals or as part of a single transmission signal including distinct data streams, the signal receiving device comprising:

a selecting unit operable to input the data streams and to select at least a part of the input data streams;

a separator operable to extract the program data of one or more specified programs included in the selected data streams; and

a decoder operable to decode the program data extracted by the separator.

8. The signal receiving device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a multiplexer operable to multiplex each of the data streams selected by the selecting unit or the program data of the one or more specified programs to be sent out from the separator.

9. The signal receiving device according to claim 7, wherein:

the plurality of data streams are formed of the program data packetized and multiplexed per the fixed unit; and

the separator is operable to output program data of the one or more specified programs as packetized data.

10. A method of receiving a plurality of data streams formed of program data of plural programs multiplexed per a fixed unit, or a transmission signal formed of the plurality of data streams, the method comprising:

inputting the plurality of data streams multiplexed per the fixed unit or the plurality of data streams formed of the transmission signal;

selecting a part or all of the plurality of data streams;

extracting program data of one or more specified programs included in each of the plurality of data streams; and

decoding the program data.

11. The signal receiving method according to claim 10, further comprising:

multiplexing each of the plurality of data streams or program data of the one or more specified programs.

12. The signal receiving method according to claim 10, wherein:

the plurality of data streams are formed of the program data packetized and multiplexed per the fixed unit; and

the extracting step outputs program data of the one or more specified programs as packetized data.

13. An apparatus for receiving, separating and decoding a plurality of data streams, comprising:

a receiver operable to produce an initial data stream containing multiplexed data packets representing a plurality of data programs from a plurality of transmitted data streams received over a communication channel;

a separating device operable to produce an intermediate data stream containing multiplexed data packets representing one or more selected ones of the data programs chosen from the initial data stream; and

a decode processor operable to decode the intermediate data stream such that the multiplexed data packets representing the selected data programs are associated with one another.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the separating device includes:

a multiplexer operable to produce a multiplexed data stream including the initial data stream; and

a separator operable to extract the selected data programs from the multiplexed data stream.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the decode processor includes:

a video decode processor operable to decode a video portion of the intermediate data stream corresponding to the selected data programs and to generate resultant video data;

an audio decode processor operable to decode an audio portion of the intermediate data stream corresponding to one of the selected data programs and to generate resultant audio data;

a display generator operable to process the resultant video data for multi-screen displaying; and

an audio generator operable to process the resultant audio data for playing.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the separating device includes:

a separator operable to extract the selected data programs from the initial data stream; and

a multiplexer operable to produce a multiplexed data stream including each of the selected data programs extracted by the separator.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the decode processor includes:

a video decode processor operable to decode a video portion of the intermediate data stream corresponding to the selected data programs and to generate resultant video data;

an audio decode processor operable to decode an audio portion of the intermediate data stream corresponding to one of the selected data programs and to generate resultant audio data;

a display generator operable to process the resultant video data for multi-screen displaying; and

an audio generator operable to process the resultant audio data for playing.

18. An apparatus for inputting a plurality of received data streams containing multiplexed data packets representing a plurality of data programs received over a communication channel and for producing an intermediate data stream including one or more selected data programs, the apparatus comprising:

a multiplexer operable to produce a multiplexed data stream including the received data streams and the one or more selected data programs; and

a separator operable to extract the selected data programs from the multiplexed data stream.

19. An apparatus for inputting a plurality of received data streams containing multiplexed data packets representing a plurality of data programs received over a communication channel and for producing an intermediate data stream including one or more selected ones of the data programs, the apparatus comprising:

a separator operable to extract each of the selected data programs from the received data streams; and

a multiplexer operable to produce a multiplexed data stream including the selected data programs extracted by the separator.

20. A method for decoding packet data, comprising:

producing at least one initial data stream containing multiplexed data packets, the multiplexed data packets representing a plurality of data programs from a plurality of distinct signals received over at least one communication channel;

producing at least one intermediate data stream containing selected multiplexed data packets representing one or more selected ones of the data programs chosen from the at least one initial data stream; and

decoding the at least one intermediate data stream such that the selected multiplexed data packets representing each of the one or more selected data programs are associated with one another.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of producing the at least one intermediate data stream includes:

multiplexing each of the initial data streams onto a multiplexed data stream; and

separating each of the selected data programs from the multiplexed data stream.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of decoding the at least one intermediate data stream includes:

decoding a video portion of the at least one intermediate data stream corresponding to the one or more selected data programs; and

decoding an audio portion of the at least one intermediate data stream corresponding to the one or more selected data programs.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of producing the at least one intermediate data stream includes:

separating each of the selected data programs from the at least one initial data stream; and

multiplexing each of the selected data programs onto a multiplexed data stream.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of decoding the at least one intermediate data stream includes:

decoding a video portion of the at least one intermediate data stream corresponding to the one or more selected data programs; and

decoding an audio portion of the at least one intermediate data stream corresponding to the one or more selected data programs.

25. A method of producing at least one intermediate data stream from a plurality of distinct initial data streams containing multiplexed data packets representing a plurality of data programs received over at least one communication channel, wherein the intermediate data stream includes one or more selected ones of the data programs, the method comprising:

multiplexing the at least one initial data stream onto a multiplexed data stream; and

separating each of the selected data programs from the multiplexed data stream.

26. A method of producing at least one intermediate data stream from a plurality of distinct initial data streams containing multiplexed data packets representing a plurality of data programs received over at least one communication channel, wherein the intermediate data stream includes one or more selected ones of the data programs, the method comprising:

separating each of the selected data programs from the plurality of distinct initial data streams; and

multiplexing each of the selected data programs onto a multiplexed data stream.