APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SUPPORTING VARIABLE LENGTH OF TRANSPORT PACKET IN AN AUDIO AND VIDEO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20120140769A1
• Filed: 12/05/2011
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Hwang, Sung-Hee, Lee, Hak-Ju, Myung, Se-Ho, Jeong, Jin-Hee
• Granted Patent: US 8,780,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/10 Arrangements for initial synchronisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/236 Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream multiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23605 Creation or processing of packetized elementary streams [PES]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2389 Multiplex stream processing, e.g. multiplex stream encrypting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4302 Content synchronisation processes, e.g. decoder synchronisation

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for supporting a variable-length transport packet in a audio and video communication system. Data to be transmitted through a transport packet is determined. A header of the transport packet is generated. The header includes a start sync signal. When a length of the transport packet exceeds a reference size, at least one intermediate sync signal is inserted into the transport packet according to a pre-defined interval. The transport packet is transmitted.

Claims

1. A method of operating a transmitting end in a communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

determining data to be transmitted through a transport packet;

generating a header of the transport packet, wherein the header comprises a start sync signal;

inserting at least one intermediate sync signal into the transport packet according to a pre-defined interval between sync signals, when a length of the transport packet exceeds a reference size; and

transmitting the transport packet.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inserting a flag for the start sync signal and at least one flag for the at least one intermediate sync signal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the flag for the start sync signal is set to a value that is different from that of the at least one flag for the at least one intermediate sync signal.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein a flag for a last sync signal from among the at least one intermediate sync signal is set to a value that is different from that of the flag for the start sync signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a value of a pattern of the start sync signal is different from that of the at least one intermediate sync signal.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, when the at least one intermediate sync signal comprises a plurality of intermediate sync signals, respective patterns of the plurality of intermediate sync signals have different values.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

inserting information that indicates a length of the transport packet into the transport packet.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the information that indicates the length of the transport packet comprises one of a packet length field that indicates the transport packet length and a sync number field that indicates a number of sync signals included in the transport packet.

9. A method of operating a receiving end in a communication system, the method comprising the steps of:

obtaining a synchronization of a transport packet by detecting a start sync signal comprised in a header of the transport packet and at least one intermediate sync signal arranged in the transport packet according to a pre-defined interval between sync signals;

extracting a stream from the transport packet; and

processing the stream.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying the start sync signal by using a flag for the start sync signal and at least one flag for the at least one intermediate sync signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the flag for the start sync signal is set to a value that is different from that of the at least one flag for the at least one intermediate sync signal.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein a flag for a last sync signal from among the at least one intermediate sync signal is set to a value that is different from that of the flag for the start sync signal.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

identifying the start sync signal by using a pattern of each of the start sync signal and the at least one intermediate sync signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the pattern of the start sync signal is set to a value that is different from that of the pattern of the at least one intermediate sync signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, when the at least one intermediate sync signal comprises a plurality of intermediate sync signals, respective patterns of the plurality of intermediate sync signals have different values.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining a start point of a next transport packet by using information that indicates a length of the transport packet.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the information that indicates the length of the transport packet comprises one of a packet length field that indicates the transport packet length and a sync number field that indicates a number of sync signals included in the transport packet.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the flag for the start sync signal is set to a value that is different from that of the at least one flag for the at least one intermediate sync signal.

21. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein a flag for a last sync signal from among the at least one intermediate sync signal is set to a value that is different from that of the flag for the start sync signal.

18. A transmitting-end apparatus in a communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a Mutiplexer (MUX) for determining data to be transmitted through a transport packet, generating a header of the transport packet, wherein the header comprises a start sync signal, and inserting at least one intermediate sync signal into the transport packet according to a pre-defined interval between sync signals, when a length of the transport packet exceeds a reference size; and

a transmitter for transmitting the transport packet.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the MUX inserts a flag for the start sync signal and at least one flag for the at least one intermediate sync signal.

22. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein a pattern of the start sync signal is different from that of the at least one intermediate sync signal.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein, when the at least one intermediate sync signal comprises at plurality of intermediate sync signals, respective patterns of the plurality of intermediate sync signals have different values.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the MUX inserts information that indicates a length of the transport packet into the transport packet.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the information that indicates the length of the transport packet comprises one of a packet length field that indicates the transport packet length and a sync number field that indicates a number of sync signals included in the transport packet.

26. A receiving-end apparatus in a communication system, the apparatus comprising:

a De-multiplexer (DEMUX) for obtaining a synchronization of a transport packet by detecting a start sync signal comprised in a header of the transport packet and at least one intermediate sync signal arranged in the transport packet according to a pre-defined interval between sync signals and for extracting a stream from the transport packet; and

a decoder for processing the stream.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the DEMUX identifies the start sync signal by using a flag for the start sync signal and at least one flag for the at least one intermediate sync signal.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the flag for the start sync signal is set to a value that is different from that of the at least one flag for the at least one intermediate sync signal.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein a flag for a last sync signal from among the at least one intermediate sync signal is set to a value that is different from that of the flag for the start sync signal.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the DEMUX identifies the start sync signal by using a pattern of each of the start sync signal and the at least one intermediate sync signal.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the pattern of the start sync signal is set to a value that is different from that of the pattern of the at least one intermediate sync signal.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein, when the at least one intermediate sync signal comprises a plurality of intermediate sync signals, respective patterns of the plurality of intermediate sync signals have different values.

33. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the DEMUX determines a start point of a next transport packet by using information that indicates a length of the transport packet.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the information that indicates the length of the transport packet comprises one of a packet length field that indicates the transport packet length and a sync number field that indicates a number of sync signals included in the transport packet.