Method and apparatus for analyzing digital multi-program transmission packet streams
First Claim
1. A method for monitoring a multiplexed data stream comprising a plurality of packets, the packets including a packet header and a payload, at least one of the packets in the data stream comprising a program guide packet carrying at least a portion of a program guide identifying channels carried by the data stream, the method comprising the steps of:
- reading the packet headers from the data stream;
reading the program guide packet from the data stream; and
, verifying the integrity of the data stream by comparing at least a portion of the program guide carried by the program guide packet with at least two of the packet headers in the data stream to verify at least one of;
(a) that at least two of the channels identified in the program guide is present in the data stream, and (b) that at least two of the channels carried by the data stream is identified in the program guide.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and device for monitoring a multi-program data stream. The data stream preferably contains digital packets multiplexed from different data and control channels. A service information channel or program guide is available from the data stream to identify the various channels and the associated packets in the data stream. The packet stream analyzer verifies the program guide and the contents of the program guide against the packets found in the packet stream. The semantics and sequencing of packets can also be verified. Verification errors can be recorded and displayed via an interface computer.
116 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method for monitoring a multiplexed data stream comprising a plurality of packets, the packets including a packet header and a payload, at least one of the packets in the data stream comprising a program guide packet carrying at least a portion of a program guide identifying channels carried by the data stream, the method comprising the steps of:
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reading the packet headers from the data stream; reading the program guide packet from the data stream; and
, verifying the integrity of the data stream by comparing at least a portion of the program guide carried by the program guide packet with at least two of the packet headers in the data stream to verify at least one of;
(a) that at least two of the channels identified in the program guide is present in the data stream, and (b) that at least two of the channels carried by the data stream is identified in the program guide. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A device for analyzing a data stream comprising a plurality of packets, the packets including a packet header and a payload, at least one of the packets in the data stream comprising a program guide packet carrying at least a portion of a program guide identifying channels carried by the data stream, the device comprising:
analyzer logic for analyzing the integrity of said data stream by comparing at least a portion of the with at least two of the packet headers in the data stream to verify at least one of;
(a) that at least two of the channels identified in the program guide is present in the data stream, and (b) that at least two of the channels carried by the data stream is identified in the program guide; and
, an interface display for displaying results generated by said analyzer logic.- View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
Specification