Data stream multiplexing apparatus and method and record medium therefor

• US 5,742,732 A
• Filed: 05/31/1996
• Issued: 04/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ichikawa, Teiichi, Kubo, Yumiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boccio, Vincent F.
• Application Number:
  US08/658,824
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 386/1, 386/33, 386/95, 386/109, 386/98, 386/111-112, 348/385, 348/387-388, 348/423, 348/461-468
• US Class Current: 386/329
• 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 21/434 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 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A data stream multiplexing apparatus having a stream modifier for producing modified sub-picture data stream from a sub picture data stream where a first sub-picture data unit containing pixel data forming a sub-picture image with a preset display time period is located along a time axis by additionally locating at least one of second sub-picture data unit having almost same contents as the first sub-picture data unit within the display time period of the first sub-picture data unit on the sub-picture data stream, and a multiplexer responsive to input modified sub-picture data stream produced by the stream modifying means and other data streams reproduced in synchronous with the modified sub-picture data stream, for multiplexing these streams after packetizing them by a prescribed length.

Claims

1. A data stream multiplexing apparatus, comprising:

stream a modifying means for producing modified sub-picture data stream from a sub picture data stream where a first sub-picture data unit containing pixel data forming a sub-picture image with a preset display time period is located along a time axis by additionally locating at least one of a second sub-picture data unit having almost the same contents as the first sub-picture data unit within the display time period of the first sub-picture data unit on the sub-picture data stream; and

multiplexing means responsive to said modified sub-picture data stream produced by the stream modifying means and other data streams reproduced in synchronous with the modified sub-picture data stream, for multiplexing these streams after packetizing them by a prescribed length.

2. The data stream multiplexing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stream modifying means additionally locates the second sub-picture data unit on the sub-picture data stream as it splits the display time period of the first sub-picture data unit to a plurality of almost equal display time periods.

3. The data stream multiplexing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stream modifying means additionally locates the second sub-picture data unit on the sub-picture data stream as the sum of the data amount of the modified sub-picture data stream and the data amount of picture data stream which are other data streams per unit time is averaged.

4. The data stream multiplexing apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 3, wherein the data stream modifying means produces the modified sub-picture data stream when the display time period of the first sub-picture data unit exceeds a specific value.

5. A data stream multiplexing apparatus, comprising:

separating means responsive to input sub-picture data streams along a time axis with first sub-picture data unit having pixel data forming the sub-picture image with a preset display time period and control data for controlling the display of the sub-picture image in accordance with a display time, for separating the pixel data and the control data;

control data splitting means for splitting the control data units separated by the separating means;

stream a modifying means for producing modified sub-picture data stream from a sub-picture data stream where a first sub-picture data unit containing pixel data forming a sub-picture image with a preset display time period is located along a time axis by additionally locating at least one of second sub-picture data unit having almost the same contents as the first sub-picture data unit within the display time period of the first sub-picture data unit on the sub-picture data stream; and

multiplexing means responsive to input modified sub-picture data stream produced by the stream modifying means and other data streams reproduced in synchronous with the modified sub-picture data stream, for multiplexing these streams after packetizing them by a prescribed length.

6. The data stream multiplexing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control data splitting means splits the control data by almost equal data amounts.

7. The data stream multiplexing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the control data splitting means splits the control data units by almost equal display control time periods.

8. A data stream multiplexing method, comprising the steps of:

producing a modified sub-picture data stream from a sub-picture data stream along a time axis with a first sub-picture data unit containing pixel data forming a sub-picture image with a preset display time period by additionally locating at least one of second sub-picture data units having almost the same contents as the first sub-picture data unit within the display time period of the first sub-picture data unit on the sub-picture data stream; and

multiplexing the modified sub-picture data streams and other data streams reproduced in synchronous with the modified sub-picture data stream after packetizing them by a prescribed length.

9. The data stream multiplexing method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second sub-picture data unit is additionally located on the sub-picture data stream to split the display time period of the first sub-picture data unit by almost equal display time periods.

10. The data stream multiplexing method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the second sub-picture data unit is additionally located on the sub-picture data stream to average the sum of the data amounts per unit time of the modified sub-picture data streams and the other picture data streams.

11. The data stream multiplexing method as claimed in any one of preceeding claims 8 through 10, wherein the modified sub-picture data stream is produced when the display time period of the first sub-picture data unit exceeds a specific value.

12. A data stream multiplexing method, comprising the steps of:

separating the pixel data and the control data, in response to input sub-picture data streams located along its time axis with first sub-picture data unit having pixel data forming the sub-picture image with a preset display time period and control data for controlling the display of the sub-picture image in accordance with a display time;

splitting the separated control data into units;

coupling the control data units with the pixel data to form some second sub-picture data units;

producing a modified sub-picture data streams from a sub-picture data stream where a first sub-picture data unit containing pixel data forming a sub-picture image with a preset display time period is located along a time axis by additionally locating at least one of a second sub-picture data unit have almost the same contents as the first sub-picture data unit within the display time period of the first sub-picture data unit on the sub-picture data stream; and

multiplexing the modified sub-picture data streams with other data streams reproduced in synchronous with the modified sub-picture data stream after packetizing them by a prescribed length.

13. The data stream multiplexing method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control data units are split by almost equal data amounts.

14. The data stream multiplexing method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the control data units are split by almost equal display control time periods.

15. A record medium having a sub-picture data stream recorded along its time axis with sub-picture data units containing pixel data forming a sub-picture image with a preset display time period and other data streams reproducible in synchronous with the sub-picture data stream by multiplexing them after packetizing them by a prescribed length, characterized by that

at least a part of a plurality of consecutive sub-picture data units located on the multiplexed streams by packetizing includes a preceeding first sub-picture data unit and a second sub-picture data unit with packets located in the display time period of the first sub-picture data unit, the first and second sub-picture data units have the same pixel data, and the display time periods are substantially contiguous.

16. A record medium having sub-picture data streams recorded along its time axis with first sub-picture data unit having pixel data forming a sub-picture image with a preset display time period and control data for controlling the display of the sub-picture image in accordance with a display time and other data streams reproducible in synchronous with the sub-picture data stream by multiplexing them after packetizing them by a prescribed length, wherein at least a part of a plurality of consecutive sub-picture data units located on the multiplexed streams by packetizing includes a preceeding first sub-picture data unit and a second sub-picture data unit with packets located in the display time period of the first sub-picture data unit, the first and second sub-picture data units have the same pixel data, and the valid time periods of the display time periods are substantially contiguous.

17. The record medium as claimed in claim 16, wherein the size of the display control data of the first sub-picture data unit and that of the second sub-picture data unit are almost the same.

18. The record medium as claimed in claim 16, wherein the valid time period of the display control data of the first sub-picture data unit and that of the second sub-picture data unit are almost the same.